Zelda's Journey
by MiniJen
Summary: He was her chosen hero, and he fulfilled this role well. However, when Link disappears mysteriously, it is up to Zelda to find him on her own, braving the dangers of the surface without her hero. Post Skyward Sword. Told through both Zelda's POV and Link's POV!
1. Prologue: The Prefect Gift

**Zelda's Journey**

_My first fanfic since… I can't remember when! Anyway before I begin, I'd like to point out a few "retcons" to the cannon and aftermath of Skyward Sword. Don't get mad at the little things I change, after all this is fanfic! ^_^ First off, this story is set post-Skyward Sword, about like a year or so after the ending of the game. My first big change is that Link and Zelda travel between Skyloft and the Surface freely, as opposed to the epilogue of the game, which implies that they both stayed on the surface for good. Also at the end of the game, Fi is sealed away in the Master Sword to enter a "sleep without end", but in my little tale here, that did not happen and Link still uses the Master Sword, because I think Fi is awesome . Finally though the game leaves this one open to theory, it could be assumed that Ghirahim was destroyed when Demise was, but no one knows for sure, so he's going to the be the main antagonist of this story because he is FABULOUS and one of the funniest Zelda villains evah! Other than that not much has changed, oh and by the way, there's going to be some adorable Zelda/Link shipping in this, one of the cutest pairings in any video game :D. So now that my overly-long exposition is over, let's dive into it!_

* * *

A slight warm breeze whipped through the lush grass and trees of the forest. The sun cast a golden glow over the area as it began its descent across the magnificent blue sky. Two figures made their way through these picturesque woods, a young man and a young woman, both around the same age.

The couple had known each other since they were very young, and had been the best of friends since before they could even remember. However the two of them where far from ordinary people, as they had both had great destinies thrust upon them. Born and raised in the land of Skyloft, a floating isle hanging high above the clouds, they had both lived simple lives until the fateful day that density called to both of them.

It began with the young woman, named Zelda, being tossed from the safety of the sky that she had always known, to the wild unknown of the surface world below. The young man, Link, immediately answered the call to search for his close friend, and using an ancient sword left on Skyloft by the goddess Hylia, descended to the surface to find her.

After much fighting and searching, the heroic young man managed to locate Zelda. She then revealed both of their destinies bestowed upon them by the goddess. Zelda was in fact, the mortal reincarnation of Hylia, who had sealed away a great evil known as Demise, ages before Link and Zelda were born. However the seal had been weakening, and so to keep Demise sealed, Zelda sealed herself in a deep sleep, tasking Link with finding the Triforce, a golden relic of unparalleled power created by the gods of old, and use it to defeat Demise once and for all.

Link successfully managed to eradicate Demise and Zelda awoke from her slumber. Since peace had returned to the surface, the two of them decided to watch over the land and the Triforce. However, every night as the sun sank over the hills of the land, the two of them would return to their home in the sky for the night, and make their way back to the surface for more exploring in the mornings.

And so Link and Zelda walked through the forest known as Faron Woods looking for a Bird Statue to ascend to the sky with as the sun already hung low in the sky. This routine suited them well as it allowed them to spend their days in the quiet serenity of the land that had been untouched by human hands for generations, spending time with one another and would have them back in the safety of Skyloft with their friends and family by sunset each night. By the time they found a bird statue and arrived in the sky once more, the sun was already gone from the sky, replaced by the mixed colors of dusk. Luckily there was still enough light for both them and their companions birds known as Loftwings to find their way back to Skyloft's main island for the night.

As they were gliding on the backs of their birds through the warm evening sky, Zelda called out to Link in the rushing wind. "Hey Link!" She said, a smile crossing her face. "You remember what tomorrow is… right?"

A comical smile came across Link's face as he responded, "Hm, let me think…" After a second or two he shrugged. "I can't seem to think of anything important happening tomorrow."

Zelda rolled her eyes and laughed, sensing that he was joking. Leaping gracefully from their Loftwings, the two landed in Skyloft's main plaza, just as the nightly torches were being lit. "Don't play dumb," she said, giving him a good natured punch on the arm. "Tomorrow's my birthday silly!"

"Oh right!" Link said, though he already knew. "Well then it's a good thing I got you an amazing present."

"Really?" Zelda's eyes lit up. "What is it?!"

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see," he said as he began to walk back to Skyloft's prestigious knight academy, where the two of them stayed at night. On the day the Zelda had been swept down to the surface, Link became an official knight of Skyloft, receiving a traditional knight's uniform and moving onto the senior class at the academy. However neither one of them had really attended any classes since the incident, as their days were preoccupied with exploring the surface world. This was pardoned though, considering that Zelda's father, Gaepora was the headmaster of the academy.

Zelda followed right behind him along the path leading to the academy. "Well I bet it's just wonderful," she said, flashing him a quick wink. "By the way Link, I was wondering if we could maybe spend the day here in Skyloft instead of going to the surface. My father said he actually wants me to be around on my birthday and you and I could spend the afternoon flying. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me, Zelda," Link said.

"Perfect!" Zelda smiled. "Now come on! We're going to be late for dinner again if you don't hurry it up!"

* * *

After a filling dinner and chatting with friends, it soon was time for the residents of the academy to retire to bed, including Link and Zelda. As with every night, Link would escort Zelda to her room on the second floor of the academy like a gentleman.

"See in the morning Link," Zelda said as she opened her door.

"See you in the morning," Link said. "Oh, and happy early birthday!"

Zelda giggled. "Thanks. Good night." With one last smile, she closed the door behind her.

However the second that Zelda's door closed, Link's relaxed smile quickly turned to a frown as he went down stairs to his own room. Placing his trusted blade that he used to defeat Demise with, the Master Sword, by his desk the young man sat on his bed, taking in a deep sigh.

Just then, the hilt of the Master Sword began to glow a light blue color, not a rare occasion, but simply a sign that the spirit that dwelled within the sword, Fi, was stirring. Fi was an emotionless, calculating being, created with one task and one task alone: to aid the goddess' chosen hero. Fi would refer to Link as "Master", and with her vast knowledge of the world, had proved to be an invaluable ally in Link's search for Zelda. Even after that great journey was over, Fi often granted Link advice as he and Zelda excavated the surface realm.

The spirit of the sword emerged from her vessel, as she often did when she had something of importance to report to Link. "Greetings Master Link," she spoke in her robotic tone.

"Oh, Hi Fi," Link said. "Hey can I ask you something?"

"You may ask me anything Master," Fi replied respectfully.

"Well tomorrow is Zelda's birthday," Link began. "And I forgot to get her a birthday present. What's worse is that I told her I had gotten her something amazing. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Master I apologize for my little knowledge of your human customs and celebrations," Fi stated. "However, I believe that my sensors have indicated an interesting phenomenon currently occurring on the surface that may apply to your current situation."

"Really?" Link sat up. "What is it?"

"My sensors indicate that a rare precious stone known as goddess diamond has appeared in the Eldin region a few hours ago," Fi reported. "According to legend, it only appears once every hundred years. It is luminescent, highly valuable and extremely rare. It is considered a priceless treasure among many surface dwellers."

"Of course!" Link proclaimed standing. "If I can get some of that, it will make and amazing gift for Zelda! How long is it going to be there, Fi?"

"There is a 70% chance that the goddess diamonds will vanish with the rising of the sun," Fi deduced.

"Well then we have to go to Eldin right away!" Link said, gathering his gear.

"Master I would not advise flying at night," Fi warned. "Your Loftwing is not equipped to fly in the dark. Also there is a high probability that the dangers of the surface increase dramatically at night."

"But Fi," Link said, his impulse getting the better of him. "I have to get Zelda something! She's my-" He stopped suddenly but then continued, clearly wanting to say something other than: "my… best friend… Anyway, we'll be back before anyone even notices that we're gone! Now come on Fi! We're running out of time."

Fi paused for a moment before replying. "Very well Master Link. Let us leave at your leisure."

Link nodded as Fi returned to the sword. After gathering the last of his gear, Link slipped out of the academy unnoticed silently promising to making it back before the first rays of the sun appeared in Skyloft's vast skies with the perfect present for Zelda.

* * *

_Sorry for all the exposition! I'm trying to do as little of that as possible with this story, unlike some of my other ones :) So anyway I'll try to update on a regular basis! :D  
_


	2. Chapter 1: Missing Link

_Ok so, I think I'm going to shift the POV of this story and from now on, its going to be in __**Zelda's Point of View**__ as opposed to third person, so that the story can follow her thoughts and emotions better and to up the DRAMA! :D So anyway, here's part 2, enjoy!_

_**UPDATE: so I decided to shift the tense of the story from past to present tense, so if you have already read the story you should be fine, as I have only added a few descriptive things :)**  
_

I wake up as I usually do, to the faint light of the sun leaking through my dormitory window. Sitting up on my bed, I smile as I stretch and yawn, feeling the freshness of the new day and thinking of all the excitement that awaits me. After all it _i__s _my birthday.

Quickly running a brush through my hair, I put on my favorite pink dress, the same one I had worn on the day of the Wing Ceremony. It's still hard to believe that it's been almost more than a year since everything happened. Link and I first coming to the surface, I mean. What's funny is that neither of us had descended by choice, but in the end, we had decided to spend a great deal of our time there.

But not on this day, my birthday. No, instead Link had promised me yesterday that he and I were going to spend the day gliding through the skies, spending time together as we almost always do. I've overheard the many rumors constantly circulating around Skyloft about our supposed "romance". And I've never tried to disprove them. I have nothing to hide after all, and neither does Link. We're just really close friends and we know it. And if there was anything more than that, would it really be so wrong?

I slip my boots on and quickly step out of the room, hoping to wake Link up before he sleeps the day away _again._ Even though Link is a courageous and strong hero, having gone through many trails to rescue me, he still tends to oversleep now just like he did when we were kids.

I walk briskly down the hall of the knight academy, being empty since its still relatively early in the morning. I'm glad no one is up though, as I want to get an early start on my well-planned day without being burdened by countless "happy birthdays", as good-natured as they are.

I know that I don't even need to knock when I make it to Link's door, well knowing that it will already be left unlocked. And sure enough, it is. I open the door all the way, letting the light from the hallway spill into the darkened room.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" I call out to him cheerfully. As I've come to expect, I get no response. "Come on, Link," I say, stepping into the room. "It's my birthday remember?" I look toward his bed, and gasp when I see that it is empty and neatly made. "Huh?" I frown, confused. "He's up… _early?!_" I always wake up before Link. In fact, I don't ever remember a time that he was up before me. Ever. What's more is that even if he did normally wake up this early, wouldn't he have come to wake me up before anything else, like I always do for him?

But at that moment it strikes me: _He wants to surprise me for my birthday somehow! _I think, smiling and exiting the room. By now, a few people are wandering the halls, making their way to the dining room for breakfast. I decide to follow suit, hoping to meet up with Link at some point.

Upon entering the dining hall I'm showered birthday greetings as I take my seat at the usual table, leaving a spot for Link just in case he decides to show up. No more than a moment after I sit down, I'm greeted by my father, a mile-wide grin clearly showing on his face as he places the plate with my breakfast in front of me. Specially prepared for my birthday no doubt, my meal consists of hot pumpkin tarts and warm tea. My favorite breakfast treat. But that isn't all. Father also hands me a simple small box. Inside is a large, beautiful purple ribbon, adorned with one of the traditional Loftwing symbols and a tiny blue gem on each side of it. Just perfect for tying up my hair when need be. I smile graciously at my father and and voice my appreciation for the beautiful gift. "Thank you father!" I say warmly.

"You're quite welcome my dear!" he says, putting an arm around me. "And happy birthday! By the way, where's Link? Wouldn't you normally have him out of bed by now?"

"Well I would have," I begin. "But he wasn't in his room. He must have gotten up early. I think it's so he can surprise me later!" I let out a small giggle, not hiding the excitement on my face.

"Well then," Father says, pulling a chair out from underneath the table. "You wouldn't mind if I joined you for breakfast then?"

"Of course not!" I reply, motioning for him to sit.

Father and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, but all the while Link's unknown whereabouts pestered me. After breakfast concluded, I decided that I would go look for him in the usual spots.

On my way out of the academy, I spot Groose sauntering down the hall in his normal fashion. Maybe he knows something about Link's location…

"Good morning Groose!" I say I approach him. "Have you-"

"Happy birthday Zelda!" Groose cuts me short, but I don't mind. Before everything that occurred on the surface, Groose used to be the biggest bully at the knight academy. I actually used to think lowly of him, considering that Link had often been the target of his mean ways. However, his demeanor greatly changed after he ended up on the surface by accident, and he actually helped Link save me. Ever since then, Groose has become a good and loyal friend to both Link and I.

"Thanks Groose," I say brightly. "So have you seen Link anywhere around this morning?"

"No, I don't think so…" Groose says thoughtfully. "Maybe he's off planning a special surprise for your birthday!"

"Yeah," I nod. "That's what I think too. Well I'm going to go look for him. See you later Groose!"

"Bye Zelda!" Groose calls as I opened the large doors to the academy, letting in the fresh morning air. "Oh and when you find Link, tell him I said 'Hi!'"

"Will do!" I call out before the doors shut behind me.

I decide to begin my search around the main plaza. Ever since the Statue of the Goddess, our former relaxing spot, descended below the clouds to the Sealed Grounds, our new spot became Skyloft's plaza. The view from there is nowhere near as amazing as it had been at the statue, and we don't have nearly as much privacy there, it's still a nice place to sit and gaze at the sky.

However, as I suspected, Link isn't at the plaza. That would have be too obvious. No, if he plans on surprising me, he's most likely going to work on whatever it is in secret. And so I take the liberty of looking all around Skyloft. I check pretty much everywhere; the Bazaar, the village, the waterfall cave. He's nowhere to be found.

_Maybe he's on one of the smaller islands… _I think. And so I leap off the edge of Skyloft to get a better view with my Loftwing. I search over the main island from above, and then glide over many of the smaller islands, still finding no sign of Link. I even fly into the Thunderhead, checking over the Isle of Songs, but I still have no luck. By the time I make it back to academy its already mid-afternoon and I am tired and irritated, but at the same time I worry begins to creep up inside me. It isn't like Link to disappear without warning and for such a long time, especially since he promised me the previous day that we were going to spend today together. And Link has never broken any promise he made to me. And I know for certain that he never would… on purpose…

Finally I decide to go talk to Father about it. Maybe he can relax my worries that are growing with each passing minute…

"Father," I sigh in exasperation, entering his office.

"Zelda!" My father smiles as he looks up from a book he is studying. "Please come in! Have you found Link yet?"

"No, and I'm getting worried," I say, frowning. "It's getting late and he promised me that we'd hang out today! I couldn't find him anywhere!"

"Maybe he went down to the surface," Father suggests.

"But we always go down together," I retort. Why would Link go down to the surface without me… and why hadn't he come back yet if he did? Something feels very wrong about the whole situation. "The Master Sword!" I proclaim, an idea suddenly coming to me. "Link must have it with him, so I'll search for its aura and use it to see where he is!" One of my abilities as the goddess, I'm able to sense the mystical aura of the blade that Hylia-or rather that I created long ago.

Often times its hard to remember that I am actually the goddess reborn as a human. I couldn't believe it the first time I heard it, and I wasn't convinced until the memories of the goddess awoke within me. And while I have gained a few abilities along with these memories, inside I'm still the same person that I had been before. Though most everyone now knows my true identity as Hylia, I had requested to be treated no differently than I had been before, a request that everyone seems to fulfill, especially Link.

Exiting Father's office, I hastily walk outside so that I could better sense the Master Sword. Once I sense it, my nerves will calm down by simply having an idea of where Link was. As long as he has the Master Sword and Fi, he'll be fine, just like he always is. After all, he is my chosen hero.

What I didn't coming though, was my inability to feel the Master Sword's aura at the moment. Maybe I was mistaken… Trying again, I focus my energy into searching for it, but once again, I feel nothing but the evening breeze passing by. "Something's definitely wrong," I say to myself. I had created Fi, the spirit of the sword, as a part of the Goddess Sword, meaning that she can't be separated from it. Since Fi was the very essence that I'm trying to sense, that must have mean that something has happened to the sword. And if something has happened to the Master Sword, then something must have happened to-

"Link…" I say gravely, my eyes widening as the realization sinks in. There's no doubt in my mind that something has happened to him. But what? I know that he had gone to the surface, but why?

Feeling helpless and scared out of my mind as I watch the golden sun begin to vanish from the sky. Its too late to head down to the surface, and even if it wasn't, how would I find Link once I got there and how would I protect myself?

_I'm sure he's fine…_ I try to assure myself as I head back to the academy for the night. I can't bear in my heart to think of any alternative. If something really has happened to him… _No_, I firmly push the thought out of my mind. _He's probably just held up by something down there. He'll be back by tomorrow… I hope…_


	3. Chapter 2: An Invitation from Below

I gaze out my window at the starry night sky, hoping and praying that I can somehow catch sight of Link. I'm almost certain that I won't be getting any sleep tonight, as my mind is weighed with worry. It just doesn't make sense. There had been no sign of him at all today. I keep telling myself that he'll be back soon, but the feelings of dread were beginning to overshadow any trace of hope.

I sit down on my bed, burying my face into me hands and letting out a heavy sigh. With no way to try and find Link on my own, the only thing I can possibly think to do at this point was wait. And considering how impatient I often am, it won't be easy. I take one last glimpse out of my window before climbing into bed, and somehow after, what I'm sure is at least an hour or two consumed in racing thought, I drift into a fitful slumber…

* * *

"Sorry I'm late Zelda," I hear Link's voice and open my eyes to see him standing in front of me. I gasp in surprise, but then return the warm smile he's giving me.

"It's fine…" I say, full of relief. My nerves finally settle down as I realize that we're standing in a clearing in Faron Woods. Clearly, everything is back to normal. "What took you so long? I looked all over for you," I ask, not angry, but simply concerned.

He doesn't answer. Instead something very strange begins to happen. Suddenly Link vanishes into thin air. "Link!" I cry out, trying to grab hold of him, but feeling nothing but air. And just as he completely disappears, the forest that surrounds us drifts into nothingness as well. "Link!" I shout out again, but this time, I am answered with a cruel laugh that can't have possibly belong to Link.

"It appears that your precious hero has disappeared, Hylia…" the laughing voice taunts me from nowhere. It sounds strangely and eerily familiar, but I can't quite place a face to it.

"Who's there?" I demand fiercely as I clenched my fists. "And where is Link?!"

"Haha…" the voice laughs again. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough, you're _grace,_" the voice says, dripping with wicked sarcasm. "But for now, allow me to extend an invitation to you. If you want to save him, go ahead and try. We'll be waiting for you down here…" the voice's laugh echos through the area, as I suddenly experience the feeling of something hitting me hard. It isn't painful though. No, instead what I feel, even if it was only for a moment is undoubtedly, the aura of the Master Sword.

* * *

I jolt up out of bed the minute I feel it. Indeed, Link and the voice had been only a dream, but it had been more than just a simple nightmare. It was a vision. A vision that something truly had happened to him, that something or someone is now holding him hostage. The aura of the Master Sword, however, had been no dream. I know I had felt in in the dream, but for some reason I couldn't pinpoint it now since I was awake, yet I know without a shadow of a doubt that I had felt it.

And I know that it is somewhere nearby now. I have an instinctive feeling about it. And I don't even question where to look. Somehow, deep inside of me I know exactly where the mystical sword is.

Without a sound, I crawl out of bed and slip out of my room into the darkened hallway of the academy. I stride swiftly and silently down the stars and quickly open the still unlocked door, stepping into Link's supposedly empty room and making sure to lock the door behind me.

I turn around, and sure enough, lying on the floor right in front of me, is the Master Sword itself.

Without hesitation I pick the blade up and unsheathe it. I gingerly place a hand on its cool metallic side. Just like before, there's nothing. I still can't detect any presence within the sword at all. I can't even begin to image what had happened. Its impossible to permanently separate a sword spirit from its vessel, and yet Fi was absolutely not within the sword. Without her power dwelling inside of it, the Master Sword was just like any normal man-made sword. _  
_

From what little I know from the events so far, Link was somehow captured by marauding forces on the surface. They managed to steal the Master Sword, and by some unknown means, separated Fi from it, thereby causing the sword to lose its divine power. Yet I still have so many questions left unanswered. Firstly, how did Link get captured anyway? After all, this is the same Link who defeated the incredibly powerful Demise. Link would not have gone down easy, and definitely not without a fight. Next, who is the mastermind behind all of this? The voice from my dream sounded too familiar, and there was something about it that was unmistakably cruel. So much so that I was beginning to truly fear for Link's life at the hands of whomever this marauder was. And of course there was the obvious question of Link's whereabouts. The only thing I know about that was the fact that he's somewhere on the surface, but that could be anywhere from Lanayru Sand Sea to Lake Floria. Finally, how did the Master Sword make it to Skyloft with no divine power within it, all by itself? It must be a trap sent from the mystery assailant, their "invitation" as they had put it. They must want me to come down to the surface so that I could end up getting captured myself. Their motives for this could be anything from wanting control over the surface to the destruction of both the goddess and her hero. They must know well that Link would be the perfect lure to get me to the surface, and they must suppose that now I that I have the Master Sword, I will be brave enough to venture there. I'd be walking right into their hands, alone, with no hero to protect me. Easy prey. Then, both Link and I would be at their mercy.

"No," I say aloud even though I'm alone. I grip the hilt of the Master Sword tight and look into its glittering blade illuminated by the moonlight coming in through the window. "He saved me one. Now its my turn to return the favor."

Taking even more caution to be as quiet as possible, I take the sword and hurry back to my own room. Placing the Master Sword on my bed, I silently open my closet and quickly find what I was looking for: my own personal knight's uniform that I have secretly working on sewing for the past several months. Modeled after the uniforms of the actual knights of Skyloft, such as Link, the pants, boots, gloves and belt are of the exact same kind that the real knights wear, but I had sown the tunic and the cap that was based on the style of caps that female knights wore, myself in my favorite color, pink. I originally planned on using the outfit to surprise Link, but considering the desperate circumstance that I'm now facing, I know that it would be more appropriate attire to wear to search for Link with than any of my dresses. I tie up my long hair using the purple ribbon that my father gave me this morning, secure the leather belt around my waist, adjust my pink cap, and strap the Master Sword to my back. Tiptoeing through the halls once more, I return to Link's room one last time. Luckily for me, he always keeps a spare shield, some empty bottles and a few spare pouches in his room, and so, knowing he wouldn't mind, I help myself, taking a sturdy Goddess Shield, three bottles and strapping five empty pouches to my belt.

Feeling as ready as I could ever be, I head towards the front door of the academy, hoping that my disappearance will go unnoticed, when… "Zelda?" I stop in my tracks at the sound of my father's voice behind me. "What in Skyloft are you wearing and where do you think you are going this late at night?"

I turn to look into his expectant face. I can't lie to my father. I've never been able to get away with that. "I… I'm going to find Link," I say hesitantly, knowing this won't go over well with him.

"Zelda," Father says, shaking his head, but a look of kind understanding showing on his face. "Link is a strong young man and whatever trouble he may have come across, I'm sure he can take care of it himself. Besides, it's far too dangerous for you to go to the surface on your own."

"But Father!" I protest. "I have to! Link's in danger and I know it!" I proceed to tell him about my vision and of the Master Sword's appearance, hoping to convince him that I can make it on my own down there. "So you see," I say insistantly, concluding the tale of the events of the night. "I have to go! If I don't, who knows what will happen to Link?! Please, just trust me on this!"

A moment of silence passes as he ponders over all I had said for a moment and then he looks me squarely in the eyes. I can clearly the sadness in them and I know that he can probably see the fear in my own. "Listen to me Zelda," he says, putting a secure arm around me. "You are my daughter and I love you dearly. And I know how much you care about Link. And so because I love you, I'm going to let you go look for him. But please promise me this: that you will return to me safely and as soon as possible. All right?"

I nod and embrace my father. "I will," I said. "I promise."

My father stands and watches as I open the door and face the arid night outside. "Goodbye Zelda," he says sorrowfully, a mask of pain on his face.

"Goodbye father," I say, giving him a reassuring smile. "We'll be home before you know it." And with that, I turn and close the door, no longer able to bear the hurt in his eyes.

I half walk, half ran to the nearest jumping platform. The first small glow of the sun is beginning to show in the far eastern sky. _Perfect, _I think, taking this small fortunate circumstance to mind. _I won't have to fly at night. _Most Loftwings, except for those specially trained to do so, are unable to see in the darkness of night. My Loftwing certainly can't as I learned the hard way. One time, Link and I had tried our hand at flying at night, without any permission and we both nearly crashed into each other several times. Afterwards we received a harsh scolding from my father and both Instructor Horwell and Instructor Owlan, but we had both been too busy laughing at each other's clumsy flying to take the speech to heart. I smile as I stand there on the platform, watching the sun rise and recalling the fond memory, but realizing that I have little time to waste. Leaping off the platform and into the open skies, I call my loyal bird and fly towards the break in the clouds that lead to Faron Woods on the surface, the place where I decided would be the best place to begin my search.

With no leads on where to go or what to do, a basically powerless sword with most likely little of my own ability in using, and my own frayed nerves and fears, it seems like I'm just asking for disaster. But one thing pushes me forward, driving me into the wilderness of the surface and all of the dangers that await below the clouds. Link. My best friend ever since we could hardly walk, who had braved the same dangers that I am about to face to save me, and who watches my back no matter what. I make a silent vow to both myself and him that from that moment on, as I leap from my Loftwing, leaving the safety of the sky behind me, that I will gladly repay him for it at any cost.

_OHHH! So Zelda's adventure (no, not like the terrible CD-i Game) begins! Will Zelda be able to find Link? Where is Link in the first place and what happened to him anyway? Who is the wicked mastermind behind this plot? Will I ever get to bed at a reasonable hour? Find out next time!_


	4. Chapter 3: The Man behind the Voice

_Just so ya know, this chapter has been like three days in the making thanks to other obligations and severe writer's block (distractions), but its finally here so enjoy! (Sorry for the poor grammar, I just changed the tense of the story and I didnt feel like rewriting the whole thing so... yeah!"_

My stomach preforms nervous flips as I land on the wooded path behind the Sealed Temple. It's my first time being on the surface without Link since I was first pulled down here. And even then, for the most part I had Impa with me to fight off any marauders. I dearly miss Impa. Not only had she been a loyal companion, be she also helped me cope with the reality of my destiny as the goddess.

I look over the scene for any signs or clues to Link's whereabouts. However, the area is empty and quiet aside from the low sounds of rustling leaves and birdsong from high in the trees. No sign of any monsters, but no sign of Link either.

I brake the calm of the early morning by calling out his name. "Link!" I shout, and perk my ears up for a response, of course receiving none. "Link!" I try again. "Link!"

The sound of my own voice echoing through the trees is the only thing I can hear. A sudden loneliness comes over me as I sigh and gaze at the path ahead of me. Gathering up all of my courage, I take my first steps along it, beginning my journey.

I enter Faron Woods to find it in the same state of calm that the path behind the temple had been. _Maybe I was wrong about coming to Faron…_ I think as I walk through the quiet morning woods. I could easily be wrong. After all, the surface is vast; much larger than Skyloft and its islands. Link could be in Eldin or Lanayru as much as he could be in Faron. Even Faron in itself is a large province; consisting of not only the Sealed Grounds and the Woods, but also Lake Floria and Skyview Temple as well. The many possibilities start to overwhelm me as I think all of them over.

"I guess I'll just have to look everywhere," I say to myself, reaffirming my resolve. No matter what it comes down to, I absolutely _have to_ find him.

The cool of the morning quickly begins to wear off as the sun begins to rise higher in the sky, bringing a comfortable warmth paired with a soothing breeze to the woods. As I hike through the forest, I let my mind wander back to my dream from the previous night. Perhaps it was actually seeing Link in the dream that called me to action. Maybe it had been the taunting of the mysterious voice. Or maybe it had been my own fears and worries about the situation as a whole. Whatever it was, I know that the situation must be growing more dire by the second. Link's life is most likely in great danger, and as long as I'm on the surface without him, so is mine.

I am drawn out of my thoughts by a sharp "snap!" underneath my boot that sounds much different from the normal sound of a small twig breaking. Glancing down, I realize that I had stepped on what looks to be an arrow, now broken in half from having been stepped on. An arrow! I quickly scoop the broken projectile up off the ground and look it over carefully. A carefully polished head, but not without a few scratches showing that it had been used before. The feathered fletching looks to be about the same color as the kind on the arrows that Link always uses. Arrows like these are only available at the Bazaar in Skyloft.

Clutching a half of the arrow in both hands I can't help but smile to myself at this revelation. Link must have been here! The arrow probably hadn't been there long either, since the wind would have carried it away since it had been on the ground. I place the arrow in one of my empty pouches, considering it my first clue. However, much to my surprise and elation, I notice another one of the exact same arrows wedged into a tree a few steps ahead of me, and another in a tree not far away from that one. In fact, many of the trees surrounding me arrows stuck into them, almost seeming to form a trail through the woods leading in the direction of Skyview Temple.

My heart sinks and I realize what's going on. It's a trap. It had to be. Whoever captured Link and appeared in my dream is trying to lure me to Skyview Temple, under the false hope that Link is there. I almost turn to go the other way entirely when a thought strikes me. Maybe Link is really within the temple after all. What harm could it be to check? Seeing as the trail of arrows as my only lead, I don't really have any other alternative. And even if he isn't there, maybe I could finally get the answers to some of my burning questions.

Eventually, after following the trail, I find my way to the entrance to Skyview Temple. I haven't been in the place since I first visited the spring deep within the temple on my first visit to the surface. However, I as I stand there now, I can clearly sense a dark presence lurking within the temple. As I cautiously step into its dark depths, I pull the Master Sword out of its sheath and grip my shield tightly with the other hand, ready to face whatever malevolent forces I could encounter inside.

Nearly suffocating on the musty air inside the structure, I gradually adjust to the cold stiffness of the area. I glance in seemingly every angle and direction, watching my back as I swiftly and silently explore the temple and taking special care to look for any signs of Link. Like the forest, the temple is eerily empty aside from me and the feeling of evil that I still feel within it.

The trail of arrows continues on the inside of the temple, but they do not appear as frequently as they had outside. Though I know the arrows are little more than a trap, the path they provide does give me something to on, which I'm a little grateful for. Though Skyview Temple isn't too large, it's still possible to get lost within its depths without a map, which I certainly dont't have. Upon entering one of the large central chambers of the dungeon however, I spot something unusual lying on the ground near the door on the far side of the room. As I approach the item, I notice that its a quiver, no doubt Link's, but empty since the arrows that it once held had been scattered through the forest and the temple.

I take the quiver in my hands and rub its soft, worn leather surface. It's the end of the trail. Whatever force that had led me there, wants me to go in the door right in front of me. I strap the quiver to my back, place the stray arrows I had collected along the way inside of it, and open the door ahead of me, tightly gripping the Master Sword as I walk into the darkness.

Immediately upon entering the darkened room, I feel the sensation that I am no longer alone. A foreboding presence pervades the blackness that surrounds me, giving the room a silent tension, and making me even more uneasy. I stand there, as still as possible for several minutes, hoping that I would be ready if anything were to jump out at me.

I almost scream when a voice suddenly breaks the dense silence of the chamber. "Well, well, well," calls the voice that I recognized from my dream, still nowhere to be found. "Look who has finally decided to grace me with her presence..."

I want to send a retort at the hidden voice, but my tongue can't form words. I brake into a cold sweat, breathing heavily and shaking slightly as I scan the room all over for the owner of the voice, but finding nothing.

"Are you by chance looking," the voice coos in a sickeningly sweet tone. "For… me!" For a moment I am blinded by a bright flash of light, but when I regain my vision I gasp and back up in surprise. The voice from my dream, the one who had left the trail of arrows… how could I have not recognized him?

"Ghirahim!?" I proclaim in utter disbelief. Ghirahim was a servant of Demise, who had almost succeeded in resurrecting his dark master if it hadn't been for Link defeating both Ghirahim and Demise. Both Link and I were almost been certain in the fact that Ghirahim had been destroyed along with his master, but sure enough the same demon lord that had caused my fall to the surface in the first place that was standing before me now.

A sinister smile crosses his face. "How wonderful for me that 'her grace' remembered me," he says sarcastically as he bows before me in mocking. "Oh, by the way, I have something for you my dear girl," with a snap of his fingers a bow appears in his hand, which he promptly slides across the floor to me. I pick it up, not even needing to examine it closely to know that it was Link's. I stand there, holding the weapon tightly, trying to imagine just what Ghirahim could have done to him and cringing at all of the horrible possibilities.

"I do ever so hope that the little trail I left for you was helpful," he says, that constant mocking smile still sealing his lips. "We wouldn't want the little goddess to get lost, now would we? Perhaps next time I'll leave you something of greater importance than simple arrows. Such as his items or maybe even his blood…"

The thought of Ghirahim spilling Link's blood terrifies me to the point that I can no longer remain silent. "Where is he!?" I cry out in rage and desperation. "What have you done to him!?"

While still remaining calm, the demon lord raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that adorable?" he says twistedly. "The little goddess wishes to save her conquering hero," he bursts out laughing, and I feel my cheeks burning hot as fire.

"Where is he?" I say through gritted teeth, tired of playing his games. I hold the Master Sword out in front of me to show that I mean business. "Tell me, now!"

Ghirahim steps closer to me, as I glare at him relentlessly. "And just what do you plan on doing with that?" he asks pointing to the sword. "What good is a powerless sword going to do you? You may as well throw it away as scrap metal!" He laughs once again. Long past the point of frustration, I clumsily swing the blade at him, and he easily dodges it by using his magic to vanish into thin air.

Realizing that he could be literally anywhere, I raise my guard even higher, but on the inside I am almost to my emotional breaking point. However before I can even react, Ghirahim has appeared directly behind me, clamping a hand over my mouth to cover my muffled scream and causing me to drop the Master Sword as he grasps my other hand and holds it tightly behind my back. He leans in close and whispers in my ear, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Don't worry Hylia," he says in that low tone. "I don't intend on harming you quite yet. If I were you I'd be more concerned about that miserable excuse for a hero of yours. I yet haven't decided just how long I plan on keeping him alive, but you can believe me when I say that it won't be a great deal longer. So if you wish to save him, then hurry as fast as you can. I'll be waiting for you and so will he…"

As suddenly as he had appeared behind me, he disappeared, his evil presence finally fading from the temple. Now free from his grasp, I gasp for breath, as I fight fainting from the emotional stress that filled me.

So it had been Ghirahim all along… That question was answered, but that's about it. I still have no idea where Link is or what happened to both him and the Master Sword. All I know now was the Ghirahim is behind it all. It isn't hard to guess his motives. Revenge. On both Link and I. I can't even begin guess how Ghirahim had returned and at the moment I don't really care. Exhausted from the encounter, I hastily leave the temple to breathe in the fresh and calming air of the forest.

"_I haven't decided just how long I plan of keeping him alive, but you can believe me when I say that it won't be a great deal longer…"_ Ghirahim's cruel words circulate through my head as I sat on the steps of the temple, regaining my wits about me. What exactly is he playing at? Why had he not even attempted to harm me? And why had he so clearly revealed himself as the mastermind behind this plot? What troubles me the most however, is the fact that he had somehow managed to capture Link in the first place. Link had defeated Ghirahim in combat not once, but three times. What new powers has the demon lord obtained so that he was able to take down a hero such as Link with ease and take the power out of the Master Sword? And most importantly, how long do I have before Ghirahim's threat to end Link becomes a reality?

_Well it seems like Zelda already asked all the cliff-hanging questions for me, so until next time! _


	5. Chapter 4: Memories of a Snowy Day

_So yeah, I apologize in advanced for making this mostly a filler chapter, but I promise that you'll love it! Enjoy!_

I continue to sit on the steps of the temple, watching the small birds flutter about in the sunshine. I need to get up, and get moving. Every moment counts now. But for some reason I find myself weighed down by my many questions and concerns. But as I finally rise to my feet and look ahead into the sea of green that is the forest, I manage whisper a message that I can only hope the wind will carry to him somehow. "Link…" I say softly, though I know that he won't hear me. "I'll find you… Soon…"

I walk towards Lake Floria, seeing as now I have no leads to go on at all, I figure I might as well check everywhere like I had originally planned. It's about early afternoon when I arrive there, and the clear waters of the lake are glowing iridescently in the sun. I scoop up a handful of the fresh water with my hands and take a rejuvenating sip, realizing that my mouth has been as dry as a bone since late last night. I peer at my refection in the clear water, and I am stunned by what I see. My uniform, though a bit dirty is still intact, but what causes me the most surprise is everything else. My blonde hair, though normally neat and well brushed, is tangled and unruly. My face is paler than usual, the color most likely having been drained upon my encounter with Ghirahim earlier. What bothers me the most however, is the wild look of fear in my blue eyes.

I turn away from the water, not even bothering to run my fingers through my hair to straighten it. Does it really matter? At the moment, finding Link has to come before anything else.

As I look towards the far side of the lake, where a towering waterfall covers the entrance to the Ancient Cistern, a memory surfaces in my mind. A happy and calming one of time spent with Link…

* * *

It was only about three months after Link and I first came to the surface. The past several days had been unusually cold, much to our curiosity since the only weather we were used to was warm, clear weather, having only learned what rain was recently as such things never happen in Skyloft. One certain day, Link and I traveled down to the surface as usual to find a phenomenon we had never seen before. The air was brutally cold, and the ground and trees were covered with a soft, cold white substance that we had never seen before.

Upon landing in the woods, while freezing, we were both filled with wonder at the stuff, which seemed to be falling like rain did from the clouds, but much softer and quieter.

"What could it be?" I asked in astonishment as I scooped some it into my hands. It was bitter cold to the touch, but it seemed to gradually melt away in my hands.

Likewise, Link also picked some of it up and examined it. "I have no idea…" he said, eyeing it curiously.

"It's like rain…" I said, watching it fall from the cloudy skies above. "But much prettier…"

"Hey Fi," Link called to Fi, residing in the Master Sword as usual.

Fi emerged from her vessel and responded, "Yes Master?"

"What is this stuff?" he asked holding up a handful of the unknown substance.

Fi looked at it for a moment and then responded. "Master, according to my data banks this strange white substance is commonly referred to as 'snow'. It is water in a frozen state that regularly falls in this area of the surface. This concludes my analysis." With that, Fi returned to the Master Sword with a flourish of light.

"Snow…" I said the word, smiling to myself as I remembered the familiarity of it. "It's very beautiful…" I said, smiling at Link.

"It sure is…" he said softly as he returned my smile.

And so we took our normally daily walk through the woods, now covered with this 'snow'. It was a lovely sight as the snow covered everything from the ground to the trees with a thick white coating. Our boots left markings in it, much like they did in the sand.

When we arrived to Lake Floria, we were amazed to find that its waters were not moving like they normally did. Getting closer, we noticed that it appeared that the entire lake was frozen over.

We exchanged a look and Link, acting before he thought as usual, put a foot on the frozen water, which surprisingly did not so much as even crack. He fully stepped out onto the lake, its icy surface soundly supporting him as he held out a hand for me to take. "Come on out!" he smiled.

I looked at the ice uneasily. "Are you sure?" I asked, doubting that it would support both of us at once.

"I am," he said as he grabbed my hand and pulled my out onto the ice. I gasped as I found myself sliding across its slippery surface, trying to maintain my balance. Link laughed as he glided over to where I was, with much less of a struggle than I had.

"Give me a break!" I laughed as I eventually came to a halt. "This isn't as easy as you make it look!"

"Oh really?" He said coyly, extending his hand once more.

I accepted his challenge and took his hand. "Really."

Link half-helped and half-dragged me across the ice, both of us laughing all the way. It was like dancing, only much less graceful and much more clumsily. Yet I wasn't afraid as we dangerously skidded and skated across the ice, so long as my hand was tightly enclosed in his.

Suddenly, I began to feel myself losing my balance and cried out. "Link!" I shouted. "Slow down!"

"It's fine Zelda!" he called out laughing.

"Link, wait!" I tried to appeal to him. "I'm slip- ah!" Finally unable to maintain my balance any longer, I fell to the cold, frozen ground beneath me, unintentionally pulling Link down with me.

We both landed hard on the ice, yet as we went down we were chuckling all the same. "Thanks for making me fall Zelda," Link said jokingly.

"Hey!" I said defensively in between bursts of laughter. "You were asking for it! That's what you get for not slowing down like I told you too!"

We both continued to laugh, until I heard a small _crack! _not far away from us. I turned to look at it, and saw that a crack had devolved in the ice and that it was growing larger with every passing moment.

"Link!" I said, pointing to the crack. "Look!"

"Come on!" Link said, attempting to rise to his feet, his face becoming serious. "We have to hurry off of this ice!"

I nodded, trying to pull myself up as well, but failing. Once again, Link offered his hand which I graciously accepted as he pulled me to my feet.

The two of us ran and slid across the ice, hurrying to the nearest bank of the lake before it could collapse under our feet. As usual, Link was faster than me, leading the way to the bank that was on the far side of the lake. Just as we neared it however, the crack finally took its full toll and with an earth-shattering splash, split the ice into several sections separated by freezing cold water.

Link had managed to have both of his feet on one of the ice-islands when the ice shattered, and had managed to maintain balance on his own small piece. I, on the other hand, had not been as lucky. Unable to stop in time, I accidently slid off of one of the small pieces of ice and landed in the bone-chilling water, the shock of its coldness taking my breath away.

"Zelda!" I heard Link call to me between my own gasps for air as I flailed around in the water, trying to stay afloat. I knew the basics of swimming, but the cold water had sent me into shock causing me to panic. After only a few seconds in the icy water, I began to lose feeling in both my arms and my legs, therefore losing my ability to stay afloat. Link, only a few feet away from me, stretched his hand out to me once more, but, as hard as I tried; I could not reach it and found myself fully sinking into the icy depths of the lake. The last thing I saw before everything around me went black due to the extreme cold was Link, plunging in the water headfirst after me.

I woke up, coughing up water and gasping for air. Link, of course was sitting right beside me and I could clearly see him shivering and dripping wet as I was. Looking down, I noticed that the sailcloth that I had made and had given to Link at the Wing Ceremony was wrapped tightly around my shoulders as I lay on the snow-covered bank near the lake.

"Are you… OK…?" He asked breathlessly, his eyes full of concern.

I nodded, unable to speak as I panted heavily for air. I must not have been out for very long, since Link seemed to be just as frozen cold as I was. The only difference was that he had no sailcloth to cover him like I did. He had let me use it, sacrificing his own warmth for my own. The thought in and of itself filled me with warmth that sweetly ran through me.

"Do… you want… it back…?" I asked after several minutes of regaining my breath.

He shook his head. "You need it… more than me…" he said, still out of breath.

"Are you… sure…?"

"Yes…"

After several more minutes of recuperating from the traumatic experience, I softly said, "Thank you Link…"

I could see the smile form on his chilled face. "You're welcome Zelda…"

We watched the snow fall for a moment or two longer before Link asked, "Are you cold, Zelda?"

I smiled at him and shook my head. Scooting closer to him, I placed my head on his shoulder. "No," I said as he took my hand into his own one last time, letting them warm each other. "Not as long as I have you…"

* * *

I fight back tears as I recall every moment of it. Our amazement at seeing snow for the first time. Gliding across the ice, hand in hand as our laughter echoes through the area. How he leaped into the frozen water after me without a moment's hesitation. And how, as we locked hands sitting in the freezing cold, dripping wet, I felt as warm as I could have possibly been.

Yet now, as I stand in the heat of the summer day, the lake's waters glimmering pleasant and far from frozen like they had been that day, I feel anything but warm. In fact, a shiver runs down my spine and I finally let a small tear escape from my eye. What would I have done without him on that day? Or on the day that I had fallen to the surface? What would I have done without him even before that? And what would I do without him now? How would I-how _could_ I go on without him? I can't even bear to think such thoughts, but I know in the depths of my heart that there is a very real chance that I could lose him and it would end up being all my fault. What if I can't save him? What if I take too long? More than once he had saved my life. I had vowed that even if it is only this one time, I will return the favor and save his. Not because I feel like I owe him, but because I know deep in my heart and soul just how important Link is to me. He is more than my hero, and perhaps even more than my friend…

I look towards the entrance to Ancient Cistern, and I know where I have to go. I won't rest, I will not stop, and I will do everything in my power to find Link. I'll give anything to see him again, safe and with me. Even my own life if I have to.

_OK, so sorry that this chapter is mostly just filler and fluff... ok well its **all ** filler, but I felt that is was unnecessary to write this to reinforce the strong bond between Link and Zelda and to make the stakes even higher. Next time, there will be **intense **action and drama, I just know it! :D_


	6. Chapter 5: Deception in the Darkness

I enter the Ancient Cistern's main room and shield my eyes from the bright sunlight coming in from the opened ceiling of the room, bouncing off the gold structures adorning it. Like both the forest and Skyview, the place is devoid of life, the only sound to be heard is that of running water flowing throughout the structure.

Link and I have visited the cistern on more than one occasion to explore and admire its beauty. It's an impressive structure, full of intricate ornate designs and freshly purified water coursing through much of the place. I relatively know my way around it, so I traverse each and every room, but just as before, my search comes up empty.

I enter another large, serene room, decked out in golden fixtures much like the others. The room is entirely empty, no obstacles to surmount or anything else for that matter, the only thing it really contains is a door on the far side from where I'm standing. Thinking little of it, I swiftly walk towards the door, when I hear a strange noise as I come to a halt in the center of the room. My hand goes slowly towards the hilt of the Master Sword as I look around cautiously. Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary.

Suddenly the ground beneath my feet begins to shake. Looking down, I notice that for some reason, the tiled floor is about to give way, several cracks forming in its surface. My heart begins to nervously pound as I try to race towards the door, which is an ill-fated attempt considering the ground gives way completely before I even come close, causing me to plummet to whatever lies beneath it.

It's not too long or dangerous of a fall; I'd judge it to be about twenty feet or so. But when I clumsily land on my front side, a sharp pain ripples through my spine and arms, which I had used to soften the impact of the fall. I breathe heavily, as the sudden fall came as a shock and surprise to me. I was used to falling off high places, but those occasions had always been in Skyloft, where my Loftwing is never far away to sweep me safely onto its back. That's not so here on the surface, however, where falling from a long ways can be quite dangerous.

I slowly rise to my feet, taking in the new surroundings of what lies beneath the Ancient Cistern. Though the cistern is a beautiful place, full of light, its lower level is anything but. The earthen basement of the cistern is cold and dark, giving it an almost cursed feeling. I begin to sense the presence of malevolent forces dwelling here, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I look up at the hole I had fallen through, light from above pouring in through it. Obviously I won't be getting back up that way. So I carefully wander through the underground labyrinth, hoping to find a way out of this almost infinite darkness soon.

My footsteps echo throughout the area, as water drips from the stalactites hanging high above my head. It seems to be getting darker and darker as I progress farther, causing tension to rise up inside me. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, I sharp noise sounds behind me, echoing through the cavern. I spin around to find its score: a small horde of Bokoblins slowing etching their way towards me. With an unsteady hand, I draw the Master Sword, forgetting how heavy the thing actually is as I swing it wildly and unskillfully at the approaching monsters.

Taking in a closer look at them, there seem to be about six or seven of them, more coming along each moment though. They don't seem to have the pallor of vigor that regular Bokoblins do however. They are slower, and let out a moaning sound with each move they make. Furthermore, they don't seem to have any weapons on them either. What's most surprising, however, is the fact that they are almost all decrepit, limping along, many of them with bandages wrapped around various limbs. They're glowing yellow eyes pierce the darkness, as I finally come to the realization that they must be undead creatures, cursed to forever haunt these dark chambers.

I manage to hit one or two of them with the sword, knocking them to the ground. I move on to try and eliminate more, when out of the corner of my eye I see the ones I had previously struck rise from the ground and continue to advance towards me. I swing the sword harder, its weight almost causing me to lose my balance as I knock more down, just for them to rise up once more.

I keep swinging, not really in any true direction as I try to ward them off. More keep appearing from nowhere however, and soon I find myself surrounded by more than ten undead Bokoblins on each side. Suddenly, I feel something tugging on my pant-leg and something else on my hair. The creatures are starting to cling on to me, their way of attacking, so that they will overwhelm me and defeat me. I use the sword to ply them off, and retreat, knowing that no matter how many times I strike them, they will rise again. I cut through the mob of Bokoblins, who are trying to grasp onto me and tearing my clothes in several places. Then, I run as fast as I can from them, knowing that will their slow tread, it won't be easy for them to catch up.

However my get away is halted when I accidently trip over an unseen rock, and am sent tumbling to the ground. My ankle is throbbing with pain as I see the crowd of monsters get closer. I try to stand, but the pain in my ankle is too severe, and I collapse to the ground once more, bracing myself for the onslaught.

However it doesn't come. As I look back at the Bokoblins, I see that they are hissing and retreating as quickly as they can away from me. And that's when I notice that I'm lying in a circle of sunlight coming through from the upper part of the cistern. The creatures, intolerant of light, crept out of sight, much to my relief.

I look up at the bright light illuminating the area around me and smile at the fortunate circumstance. I give my ankle a break for a moment as I sit there and calm down from the attack. I notice that only a few feet away from me is a door. Finally feeling steady enough to stand, but taking care not to put too much pressure on my injury, I stand and slowly enter the door, without a clue as to what could possibly be behind it.

The room is dimly lit, but not so dark that I can't see. I'm standing in a long, shaft-like room, that's wide, but narrow, with a high ceiling. And, standing on the far side of the room, I can scarcely make out what looks to be the figure of a person, silhouetted black in the low light of the room.

I silently step towards them, trying to get a better look at whoever it might be. At first, I'm expecting Ghirahim and more of his tricks and taunts. But as I get nearer and nearer to the figure, I realize that it is not the demon lord. Still afar from this mystery being, I squint my eyes as their shape becomes clearer and clearer until…

My eyes grow wide with excitement. Indeed, the silhouette fits. That medium height (but still taller than me) lean and strong build. Those broad shoulders. And traces of green appearing as I get closer still. It has to be him. It just has to be.

I hesitate for a moment before a whisper softly. "Link…?" His back is turned and he doesn't hear me. "Link?" I repeat, this time louder as I stop only a few feet away from him.

Up until now he has been simply standing there still, but upon hearing me call his name the second time, he turns his head slightly to look behind him at me. After a second, he turns around completely, and I smile, tears feeling like they could fall at any moment, as I know that I've finally found him.

"Zelda…" Link says quietly, his expression blank.

Before he can say anything more, I'm excitedly talking his ear off a mile a minute. "Oh, Link!" I exclaim happily. "I'm so glad I finally found you! And I'm so glad that you're OK! When you disappeared I was so worried… So I came down here to find you myself like you had done for me. But then I encountered Ghirahim and he said he was going to…" I trail off, the tears starting to stream down my cheeks. "Link…" I sigh in relief that it's finally all over. "I'm just so happy that you're not hurt…"

His expression is still blank however, as I look into his eyes. There's something about them that doesn't seem right… Could Ghirahim have done something to him? "Link?" I place a hand on his shoulder, which is uncommonly cold. "A-are you OK?"

He doesn't answer. Instead he steps towards me and closes his eyes for a second. However when they open, they are not the calming blue that they always are, but instead, a menacing shade of red.

I gasp, and step back in fear and confusion. "L-Link?!" I say, but that's when the bitter realization dawns on me. "Y-you're not Link!"

The figure who I had thought was Link smiles cruelly. He doesn't speak, but instead rushes as me and before I can act, he is holding me tightly by the throat, cutting off my breathing as he lifts me off the ground by the neck.

As I struggle to free myself from his strong grasp, I watch as all the color fades from him except for the evil red in his eyes. The being is now only a dark copy of Link, who is intent on strangling me.

I try to gasp for air that doesn't come as I feel myself growing weaker and weaker. I thrash my legs around as I scratch at his hands with my fingers. It's all to no avail though, as he holds me firmly in his grasp. There's no way out.

My legs eventually grow too weak to struggle, as do my arms, and I give up. I'm ready to accept death until a thought hits me: somewhere, out there is the real Link. The one who I had vowed to save no matter what. Tears still flowing from my eyes, I find strength from somewhere to keep struggling, only this time, I fight even harder than before to free myself from this dark copy's iron grip. Eventually, I manage to find the strength to lift my hand and strike him in the face with a force that surprised him, finally freeing me from his grasp.

I fall to the ground, desperately gasping for as much air as I can, and gingerly rubbing the painful marks he had left on my neck. I have little time to recover from the traumatic experience however, as the dark clone is heading towards me once more, this time, a black blade bearing semblance to the Master Sword appearing in his hand. I weakly rise to my feet, but I can't focus as the entire world around me is spinning violently and everything appears in twos. My head begins to pound painfully, as does my stomach and I know that I am in no condition to fight.

I reach for the Master Sword, and though my hands are fumbling, I manage to unsheathe it and pull out my shield. Link's dark doppelgänger is almost upon me, ready to steak me through with his sword at any moment. Knowing this, though I can hardly see him, I raise the heavy shield over my head, and crouch down underneath it, as I wait for the world to stop spinning.

He attacks, his sword striking the shield with a heavy force. The sturdy shield holds up, if only for the moment. The thing can break easily if it's damaged enough times. He must know this, as he keeps striking the shield with his sword so that I will be left defenseless and easy to kill.

My head feels like it's going to cave in as I clench my aching stomach. My neck hurts so much that I can barely turn my head and my ankle is still sore from earlier. I feel broken, wasted, like I will fall even if I am only struck once. Yet I can already feel the shield's integrity wearing low and so with my heart pounding and adrenaline rushing through me, I roll to the side, away from his blade, so that I can rise to my feet once more and take him on.

He lunges at me once more, but I narrowly avoid him as I swing the Master Sword as he passes, striking him and causing him to groan out in pain. I grip the sword tighter as I run towards him, taking the offense now and thrust the sword at him, landing another blow. He swings back in retaliation, much stronger than I ever could have. I am fortunate enough to miss the full force of the blade, but the tip of it catches my upper left arm, leaving a deep and painful cut.

I can feel my left arm grow warm as it throbs in pain. I almost drop the sword to grasp onto it to stop the steady flow of blood, but I know that if I did, it would leave me weaponless. The dark copy comes in for yet another attack, but this time, I am fully prepared and provoked. I dodge him once more, and this time, I leap as high as I can, lifting the sword over my head as I glide through the air towards him and hit my mark with such a force that it knocks my opponent to the ground. I had learned the move by watching Link practice and perfect it many times, and though I am not as fluid and graceful as he is when he does it, the attack manages to inflict critical damage to the dark clone.

I pant heavily, finally grasping onto my injured arm and watch as he recoils on the ground before me, finally defeated. However, I gasp as, for a moment, the dark copy assumes the appearance of the true Link once more, blue eyes and all and reaches out to me. I step away warily, but I can hear the being call out something softly as it vanishes away into the darkness. He imitates Link's voice perfectly as he says one last, single word. "Zelda…" And for a moment, it feels like I am looking at the real Link, though I'm clearly not. And as he vanishes into the nothingness, I think bitterly: I've done this to you, Link… I've hurt you… and I've caused you of this pain…

_So, don't you just love how I somehow managed to work Dark Link into this story, huh? So anyway, where is the real Link and what is Ghirahim's master plan? Well, I won't tell you! Just kidding! I will soon, I promise! Until next time! :D _


	7. Chapter 6: Heartbreak and Hope

**_So the begining of this chapter's gonna be a bit depressing, so yeah... ENJOY! :D_**

Only now do I feel the full impact of all of my injuries, both physical and mental. My arm is throbbing in sharp pain and when I remove my hand from it, it's covered in warm blood, as is the rest of my arm. I need to find a way to bandage it somehow; otherwise I could easily die from blood loss. I'm still very dizzy, so much so that I end up collapsing to my knees in pain, holding on tightly to my nauseated stomach. I begin to cough up both blood and vomit, trembling uncontrollably and crying all the while. And while my physical pain is great, what hurts the most is the emotional struggle that courses through my mind. Though that dark image of Link had been only a deception, most likely crafted by Ghirahim, I had genuinely and stupidly believed for a moment that I had really found him. That we were finally reunited and that he was safe. But now I know that he's still in great danger and the thought drives me to near madness considering that I had been so close, yet so far away.

Unable to take any of it anymore, I scream out in agony and pound my fists into the ground. "Link!" My throat burns intensely as I cry out for in a strained, weak voice, sobbing uncontrollably. "Where are you!?" I know well that he won't hear me wherever he is, but I am broken to the point of near insanity as I cry out once more to him. "Link! Please! I need you…" I trail off softer, my mind in a distant fog as I hear the sound of my voice echo throughout the room and nothing more. I bury my face into my hands and let out a muffled scream of frustration.

_He is probably already dead…_ I think bitterly as hot tears stream down my face. _It would be better for him if he was… _I stop myself immediately after the thought comes to the surface. No. I do not wish him dead. I never would. Rather, it would be better for him if _I _was dead. Yes… then, perhaps Ghirahim would let him go, seeing as he is only using him as leverage against me. If I was gone, then maybe, just maybe, Link would have a chance…

The thought twist and turns in my mist-filled mind. Once more I cough up vomit and blood onto the ground in front of me, the two vile substances making me sicker upon seeing them. I had been so foolish. To think that I even had a chance of finding him! Whatever had given me such silly notions? I'm no heroine, clearly. Link is the hero. The one who has a heart full of courage and strength, two qualities that I clearly have none of. I wonder if he is even aware of what's happening, if he is thinking of me, wondering if I am looking for him. I wonder if Ghirahim, who do doubt watched the duel that just took place, is taunting him and torturing him, both physically and mentally. Perhaps it would be better if he was not aware of any of it. Then he would not be able to get his hopes raised, just for me to fail him.

"I give up…" I groan sorrowfully to myself. I simply stand it any longer. I cannot stand the thoughts of him being tortured, or worse, because of me. I fall back onto the ground, staring up at the dark earth above me. _This is where I die… _I think. It will be mercy for me at the very least and hopefully for him as well. I will not have to suffer this insurmountable pain any longer. Already, I feel death's sweet grip tugging on me. My arm is now completely numb, and I know that I have already lost a lot of blood. I am too weak to move, even if I wanted to. No, instead I just lie there, letting the blood flow freely out of me and falling into a slight stupor. The world starts to grow dark, but I manage to whisper one final message, that I hope with all of my heart that he will somehow hear. "Link…" I say softly, a warm tear running down my cheek. I imagine his face, his kind, gentle, smiling face, in my mind. The mental image makes me smile softly was well as I continue. "Please… don't cry for me when I am… gone… I only wish that I could have seen you… one last time for real… I'm sorry… I have failed you… but please… know that… I… I…" the words lose their place in my mind as my lips go still and I fade away into the darkness, trying to hold on to that one last image of Link, but losing my grip all too quickly…

* * *

I am assaulted by countless nightmares, each one more painful than the last. I watch Link die in so many different ways… a stab to the heart, drowning, his neck breaking… all being administered by Ghirahim who stares at me the entire time with a wicked grin on his face, as I watch, unable to move, my eyes wide with horror as I watch him die again and again and again. I begin to feel like it will never end, no matter how many times I cry out and how many times I hear his screams of agony mingle with my own. But the worst nightmares consist of my own death, by Link's hand. In excruciating pain, I feel every injury that he inflicts on me. And he is not the dark copy I had faced in the Ancient Cistern. Instead, the fact that hurts me the most is that it is the true Link who, with a look of glazed cruelty on his face, runs me through with his sword, shoots arrows into my skull, strangles me, and anything else my dark dreams can imagine to torment me. Every now and then, I will receive a few moments of reprieve, where my mind rests in the cloak of darkness, only to return to return to endless onslaught of nightmares once more…

* * *

My eyes open once more and I expect to see Link standing before me, his sword drawn and ready to strike me down yet again, but instead I am greeted by a different sight entirely. I am finally free from the realm of my nightmares, as I look up into the clear blue morning sky. Somehow, I am not dead.

I do not move or even try to. The pain in my ankle is completely gone and the world has finally stopped spinning. My mind is still in a daze and my focus just barely locks onto the sky above me. My stomach only hurts slightly now and my arm, though still in pain, is no longer bleeding. My throat is incredibly sore, but I breathe in the fresh air around me easier than I had the impure air within the underbelly of the cistern. I look down to see that my arm is clean and wrapped tightly in a white bandage, and my clothes are repaired as well, not torn or blood-soiled like I had been expected them to be.

How long have I been out? It had been mid-afternoon when I first went into the Ancient Cistern, but now it is clearly morning. But more importantly, I should be dead right now. What could have possibly saved me? What could have possibly healed me and brought me back from the grave?

The answer to my wonderings comes in the form of a voice not far to my left. "Your grace," the familiarity of it makes me open my eyes wide. "Can you hear me?"

I breathe in slowly and turn my head to the voice. Unable to speak due to the intense pain in my throat, I let out a groan, but smile out of both happiness and surprise. The person who is sitting a few feet away from me is none other than Impa, in her young and lithe body, a look of concern showing on her features.

Impa smiles gently at me and nods. "Yes Zelda…" she says in her naturally calm voice. "It is truly me."

I am stunned by this sudden revelation. The Impa who had lived in the present time period had long since vanished, the Impa who is with me now hailing from the distant past. How is it possible though? The Gate of Time, which both Impa and I had used to travel between the past and the present, is first thought. There had only been two such gates in existence though: one in Lanayru Desert which Impa herself had destroyed after we escaped through it, and one that had been in the Sealed Temple, which had vanished after Link defeated Demise. How can Impa be appearing to me now and why?

Impa sees the confusion of my face and explains slowly, sensing that my muddled mind won't be able to understand if she goes too fast. "I became aware of your struggle to find the hero in a vision," she says. "Sensing that you were in danger, I used some strong, old and forbidden Sheikah magic to create a temporary Gate of Time so that I could come to your aid. And sure enough, you were just about dead when I found you in the caverns of the Ancient Cistern."

Suddenly, I feel a bit angry with Impa for coming to my aid. It had been selfish though, just giving up like I had, but at the moment I had seen no other choice or way out. Even still, my heart is woeful and heavy in remembrance of all that had occurred.

I try to speak, but only manage to get two words out before my throat recoils at the pain. "Is…he…?" I barely manage to utter. I begin to cough violently, the pain causing me to convulse where I lay.

Impa doesn't answer the question I tried to ask. Instead, she reaches for one of my pouches, not attached to my belt as they had been before, but rather lying on the ground near us, the Master Sword close beside them. She pulls out a bottle from one of the pouches, and I see that it is filled with red liquid that I recognize as red healing potion. Impa hold the potion out for me to take and at first I willingly reach my hands out towards it, but quickly retract them. I know that even trying to swallow the stuff would be incredibly painful, even if it can ease my pain.

Impa sighs and looks at me sadly. "Zelda…" she says exasperatingly. "Please. It will heal you."

After a minute or two of coaxing, I finally take the bottle from her hands as she slowly and carefully helps me sit up, letting me rest my back against a rock as I finally realize that we are behind the Sealed Temple. Hesitantly, I lift the bottle to my lips and begin to drink. I almost spit the bitter liquid back out as it sears the inside of my throat in a burning pain. Tears begin to trickle down my cheeks once more, until the substance hits my stomach, instantly bringing it to ease and sending a calming effect throughout my entire body, including my arm and throat.

"Thank you…" I say softly to Impa, fearing that if I spoke any louder the pain would return.

Impa takes the now empty bottle from my hand and returns it to its pouch. "Zelda…" she says, looking away from me. "Do you know how long you have been unconscious?"

I shake my head and begin to worry. "Two days…" Impa says slowly, holding up two fingers to make sure I understand.

Two days… From sundown on the day I had come to the surface to sunrise the next day, to another sunset, to this morning's sunrise and now. My search has been going on for three days, two of which I wasn't even awake for. Two days full of nothing but bitter, haunting, horrifying nightmares. And two days of dangerously wasted time. "Link…" I whisper, as a cold breeze blows by. Is there even a chance that he has remained unhurt this entire time? Is there really any chance that he is still alive?

Impa nodded. "Yes…" she said slowly and clearly. "He is still alive…"

"Really!?" I exclaim, paying little mind to the pain in my throat. Link is alive! Suddenly, my vigor is returned to me as is my resolve. If Impa knows that, then perhaps she may even have an idea about where he may be! "Where?" I ask, softer this time, my eyes full of newfound hope.

A sad expression crosses Impa's face, making my heart sink. "That much I do not know," she says. "But he is alive, I am certain. And I know that you will be reunited with him soon."

I frown. "But Impa…" I protest. "I don't even know where to look for him!"

Impa thinks this over for a brief moment before responding. "No," she answers. "But I do. You must restore the power to the Master Sword so that you can use it to find his aura."

"Of course!" I exclaim. How had I not thought of this earlier? If I were to find Fi and restore her to the sword, then she could no doubt dowse for Link, making my search much easier. The only problem was, I had no idea where she could be.

"As you already know," Impa begins. "The sword spirit cannot be separated from its vessel under _normal_ circumstances. However, I believe that Ghirahim has used a previously undiscovered type of dark magic to quell the Master Sword's power. However, he was unable to destroy the spirit of the sword as he is one himself. He has placed a curse on the sword, making it like any other sword in existence and separating it from its divine elements." She stops for a moment to make sure I am hearing her words, which I am somehow managing to cling onto even in the fog of my mind. "It is not hopeless however," she continues. "For I am a few tricks up my sleeve as well…"

She winks cleverly as she pulls something out from behind her back and carefully hands a small brown sack to me. I take it in my hands, open it, and carefully draw out the small rounded object from inside it. I look at it wonderingly as it glints in the sunlight. A compass. But this is no ordinary compass. It is made of pure gold, intricately and beautifully made. As I trace a finger across its glass face, I feel magic coursing through it. "What is this?" I ask, still examining the strange object.

"It is a Spirit Compass," Impa replies. "It will lead you to where the sword spirit is with sure accuracy."

I watch as the golden tip of the compass begins to glow slightly, pointing towards the east. In the direction of Lanayru Desert.

Impa rises to her feet and extends a hand to me as she asks, "Do you think you can continue on your own, your grace?"

I take her hand, and unsteadily rise to my feet. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Why can't you come with me?" Impa has been the first friendly face I have encountered since I left Skyloft. I pine for her company, not wanting to be left alone again.

Impa sighs. "The gate I created will vanish soon," she places a steady hand on my shoulder and smiles encouragingly. "Zelda, I know that you can do this. You are strong. Quite strong."

I shake my head. "No," I say bitterly. "I'm not. I was ready to give up back there, Impa! I… I just don't have what it takes to do this…"

"You do," Impa says gently. "He is counting on you. It is destiny's plan that you return his favor to you. It is destiny's plan that you will find him. I believe this with all of my heart."

I take in a deep breath. She is right, of course. Everything lies squarely on my shoulders now. And whether I feel up to the task or not, I made a vow. A vow I said I would fulfill no matter what…

I simply nod. What else is there to be said? I have no clue as to how much time I have left, but I know that Ghirahim won't keep Link alive forever. I might as well continue the search for him, especially now that I have a clear lead.

"I am sorry that all of this has happened to both of you…" Impa says sadly. "Please, be more careful from now on however," she shoots me another sly wink.

I return her smile. "I will be," I say. "Thank you Impa. For everything…"

Impa simply nods as she suddenly vanishes into thin air. "I wish you the best of luck your grace!" I hear her call out and I know that she is already returning to the past, leaving me alone once more.

I feel a surge of hope run through me as I look towards the path that leads to Lanayru the first time in a long time, I truly feel confidence in every inch of me, filling me with courage. _I can find him…_ I think, my mind finally clearing. _I can…And I will…_

_**So, question time! Will Zelda find Fi, therefore finding Link? Will things come to a dramatic and escalating climax? They most certainly will! Until next time!**  
_


	8. Chapter 7: Finding Fi

I check over my gear before starting towards Lanayru. Everything is intact. In fact, Impa has even left me with two healing fairies in my other two bottles. I smile, grateful for what she has done for me, but still wishing she could accompany me. This has not been an easy journey to go on alone, but I have been able to gain a better sense of understanding of what Link must have gone through during his search for me…

I can walk steadily, but I go slowly, fearing that if I break into a fast walk or a jog my head will start spinning again. I keep the mysterious Spirit Compass close at hand, to easily consult it when if I need to. As I'm about to leave the area, I pass by a bird statue, which is the most practical way to return to Skyloft. I stop for a moment and look longingly at the statue. My poor father must be worried sick. He no doubt expected me to come back by now with Link in tow, but of course, I haven't. I want to go back up to the sky, to tell him that I'm OK and that he shouldn't worry. But it would be a waste of precious time.

Just as I'm thinking this over, I suddenly hear a voice from above. Glancing upward, I let out a small laugh as I see none other than Groose barreling towards the ground, letting out a wide-eyed scream as he comes down. "Groose!" I call out, but he doesn't hear me. Instead, he lands rather clumsily a few feet behind me.

"H-hey Z-Zelda…" he pants heavily as he rises to his feet.

"Hi Groose," I smile. "Um, what are you doing down here?"

"Well," Groose says, his usual verve returning to him. "Headmaster Gaepora sent me down here to check on you and to see if you've found Link!" Suddenly, he pales at the sight of my bandaged arm. "What happened to you?!"

_Oh great…_ I think as I roll my eyes. If father finds out that I'm hurt, he'll certainly make me return to Skyloft. "It's nothing," I say, trying to make the wound that almost killed me sound like it's not a big deal. "Just a little scratch is all it is. I'm fine. Can you tell father that, please Groose?"

Groose nods enthusiastically. "Sure thing Zelda!" he says brightly. "But hey, what about Link? Is he OK?"

I look down at my feet and sigh. "I don't know…" I say, not really wanting to go into the details of the past few days. "But, I'll find him! I just know it! So hurry on back and tell my father that I'll be just fine!" I say somewhat insistently.

"Whoa there!" Groose says, laughter in his tone. "I'm going! I'm going! But before I go I felt like I should bring this to you…" He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out, handing it to me. My eyes open wide when I see what it is. I take the object carefully in my hands, and run a finger along its stitching down the side. Link's cap… There's no question that it's his: that unmistakable shade of green, though slightly faded from much use. However it's filthy and the fabric is torn in several places. I can also detect the faint smell of ash. It makes me wonder and fear exactly what happened to him…

"I found it lying around near the volcano when I went there to see if you were nearby," Groose says a moment later.

"The volcano?" I ask, hope filling me. Is there a chance that Link is there?

Groose nods, smiling. "Well I hope you find him soon Zelda," he says turning to the bird statue to return to the Sky. "Good luck!"

The statue lifts him towards the sky as I call out after him, "Thank you so much Groose!"

I return my attention to Link's cap, which I hold gently in my hands. It's a good clue, but also a disturbing one. On one hand, it gives me an idea that there is a good chance that Link is somewhere in Eldin, but on the other, its ruinous state shows that there's also a very good chance that he's hurt.

At the moment, I'm faced with two choices: go to Eldin to search for Link, who may not even be there anymore, or head in the direction of Lanayru where the Spirit Compass is saying Fi is. I'm torn, since I'm extremely worried about Link and I of course, want to find him as soon as possible and that if I do manage to find him in Eldin, then the two of us can easily swing by Lanayru afterwards to find Fi. But again, I have no idea if that's where he actually is. That cap could have been lying near the volcano for as long as I had been knocked out or it could have even been blown there by the wind. Ghirahim could have moved him somewhere else so that I wouldn't find him or he could have placed the cap there so that Groose would find it and deliver it to me, leading me into another trap.

My grip tightens on the cap as I hold it to my heart. The safest and smartest, though not the fastest choice right now or at least I hope it is, would be to go to Lanayru. With Fi's help, I'll certainly have more assurance as to where he really is. So, I tuck the cap away into one of my pouches and walk briskly towards the desert, bracing myself for whatever could be there.

The path connecting Faron Woods to Lanayru Desert is actually not a long one and soon enough, the green trees of the forest give way to sand and the sun begins to burn hotter in the clear sky. I hold the golden Spirit Compass in front of me the whole time, watching each small shift the needle takes, and the glow on the tip of it that grows brighter and brighter as I enter the desert. Once I'm finally there, I look over the vast expanse of shifting sands that cover several time worn structures jutting out from them.

The needle of the compass suddenly turns a full circle, before finally pointing in the direction of the Temple of Time, with its large stone bird crest rising high above it, casting a lofty shadow over that part of the desert. I remember well the first time I went there. It had been with Impa during my first visit to the surface. It was also there that I had seen Link for the first time since falling down from the sky. And it had been thanks to him that Impa and I were able to pass through the Gate of Time that had once been there, escaping from Ghirahim grasp. I think of the experience know as I head towards the Temple of Time, and realize just how much I truly owe Link. Yet in my own selfishness, I had been so ready and so willing to just give up and leave his fate into the hands of the unknown.

My walk to the general area where the temple lies is uneventful. The potion Impa gave me earlier has greatly eased my sore throat and now only a minor pain remains. My arm is still dully sore, but I can move it with little pain if I'm careful. Luckily, there's a slight breeze wafting through the desert, alleviating some of the dry heat as I approach the temple, following the compass' guidance closely.

When the temple finally comes into clear view, the point of the needle flashes wildly. I look into the distance, towards the open entrance of the temple, its gate having been long since broken from that day long ago. The temple's simply an outdoor enclosure, consisting of stone walls on all sides, no roof, and the ancient stone crest rising up from behind it. I edge closer to it, and as I do, I begin to see something flash in the sunlight from within the temple.

I finally make it to the temple's large entrance, and the compass is glowing in its entirety. And then, I finally see her clearly. At the opposite end of the temple, floating above the very place where the Gate of Time had once stood, trapped in some sort of glowing, diamond shaped blue crystal, is Fi, in a state of slumber from the looks of it. I take in a deep breath and slowly move forward, knowing that the place could be rigged with any number of traps. Ghirahim wouldn't be putting her out in the open like this for me to find her unguarded. Especially if finding her would help me find Link.

I cross over the long stone bridge that covers the large and deep chasm standing between the two ends of the temple. When I finally make it across to the other side, I ease up. _Maybe this will be easier than I thought… _I think as I approach the crystal that has Fi trapped within it.

I tentatively place a hand on the crystal, which is filled with a strange kind of magic. How did Ghirahim even manage to entrap Fi in this thing in the first place? Then again, how did he even separate her from the Master Sword?

Thinking maybe she'll awaken to the sword's presence, I unsheathe the blade and hold it in front of the crystal. Much to my annoyance, nothing happens. I gently place the tip of the sword against the hard surface and again, I am met with no response. Then, finally, I grip the sword with both hands, and as hard as I can, I swing it at the crystal. However, as I do this, I am sent flying back by a wave of unseen energy given off by the crystal. I land hard on the ground a few feet away from it and by now, I'm frustrated.

As if from nowhere, a wicked laugh suddenly rings out. "Oh my dear girl," Ghirahim says from wherever he's hiding. "It won't be that easy…"

I rise to my feet and look all over for him in vain, a hateful scowl crossing my face. "Stop hiding you coward!" I shout out angrily.

"Well…" he says thoughtfully. "Who am I to disappoint?" He appears in a flourish, standing between me and the crystal with that teasing smile on his face. "Well look at that," he points to my injured arm. "Looks like that pathetic shadow that I made of your pathetic hero at least managed to land a little damage. But I do apologize. He was supposed to give you a lot more!"

My suspicions confirmed, I decide to throw some of his burning remarks back at him. "Oh, you mean this little scratch?" I smirk down at my arm. "Barely felt a thing!" I lie. "In fact, if it hadn't been for your little creation, I probably would have never even found my way here. Thanks for the help Ghirahim!"

The demon lord frowns in anger. "Don't lie Hylia!" he says accusingly. "I watched the whole encounter! I watched how you lay there, half dead! If it hadn't been for that wretched servant of yours than you certainly would have died!"

"Well then," I say with more confidence than I actually have. "Why don't you try to finish the job yourself?!"

Ghirahim opens his mouth to fire a witty retort, but quickly closes it once more in defeat. "No," he says a second later, his lips contorting into a sinister smile. "I have other errands to attend to. Such as inflicting even _more _pain on your hero, Hylia!"

I can't control the surprised gasp that escapes from me. So Ghirahim has been torturing Link. I had suspected as much, but I didn't want to believe it. "No!" I cry, no longer able to keep my level head. "Don't hurt him! Please!"

Ghirahim simply snickers, making me burn with anger on the inside. "Don't you remember what I told you a few days ago?" he asks calmly. "I only plan on keeping him around a few more days. You wouldn't want to show up just to find his cold, dead body, now would you?"

I hold back the tears the best I can, letting my fury flow out instead. "If you do anything to him so help me, I'll-" I am cut off by even more of Ghirahim's laughter.

"You'll do _what, _Hylia?" he says mockingly. "Pound your fists into the ground in sorrow? Cry until you faint? Sleep for two days while things get even worse? Please, spare me!"

He buries his face into his hands, laughing hysterically at me. By now I am so angry that I can hardly take it. Yet in the midst of my fury, I find an opportunity, and I take it. While he's still distracted by his laughing fit, I grip the Master Sword tightly with both hands and lunge quickly towards him. He doesn't see me and I am successful in striking him with enough force that it sends him plummeting backwards into the crystal that Fi is in a few feet behind him. And, as he recovers from the strike, I notice a small crack forming in the crystal.

"H-how dare you!" he shouts, stunned and breathless. "You will pay for that, you worthless little…" he stops himself yet again, regaining his composure. "I mean, you think you can possibly stand up against me? Maybe if you were still a true goddess, but never in that pitiful human form of yours Hylia!"

"Well see about that…" I reply, watching his eyes burn with fury at how the tables have suddenly turned.

"Well…" he thinks for a moment, and then that evil smile returns to him. "Thanks to that little 'attack' of yours, I'll have to spill even more of his blood, whatever little must be left by now. What do you say to that Hylia?"

I do not reply. I won't allow myself to appear weak to him any longer. But in my head, I'm downright terrified. I want to scream at him, utter every profane word I know at him, and recklessly lunge at him, attacking with as much force as I can muster. But I don't. Instead, I stand there and scowl at my feet so hard that the tears can't even try to come.

"Well, I've grown bored of toying with you Hylia," Ghirahim says, thinking that he has ultimately emerged from this encounter as the victor. "So I think I'll return from whence I came. Oh, and don't worry, I'll make sure to give the hero your condolences. Heheheh…." He snickers softly as he vanishes from sight once more.

I almost lose control and break down crying once I'm sure he's gone. I can't even bare to think what cruel methods Ghirahim must be using to torture Link with. Tears flow softly down my face as I realize how little time I must have left.

Suddenly, a bright light flashes from the crystal that Fi is in. The crack made it in by Ghirahim has grown very large, and it looks like the thing will break any second. I watch with wonder as it suddenly shatters into billions of blue irradiant pieces, releasing Fi from her prison.

Awakening from whatever state of slumber that Ghirahim had her in, Fi scans the area in her usual fashion, before locking her gaze onto me. "Your grace," she says in her normal calculating tone as she bows respectfully before me. "I apologize for my delay in awakening."

I nod and smile. "It's fine, Fi…" I say tiredly. "Oh, wait!" I hold the Master Sword aloft and Fi glides quickly towards it.

She looks around once more, however. "Is Master Link not with you?" she asks.

I look down and sigh. "No," I say sadly. "I don't know where he is… But you can find him, right?"

"Yes," Fi confirms. My heart leaps with excitement and relief. I can finally find him! I _will _finally find him! "I can dowse for his aura, your grace."

"Thank you, Fi…" I say in relief.

A moment later, Fi has locked on to Link's aura and announces its location to me. "I am detecting that Master Link is in the Eldin region," she says. "There is a high probability that he is located somewhere within the Earth Temple."

So Link _is _in Eldin after all. Finally, no more meaningless searching in all of the wrong places! I finally have a clear, exact position as to where he is. I can't help but smile, even though I'm still very afraid for his life. But I still hold onto my resolve. Fi returns to the Master Sword once again as I return it to its sheathe and leave the Temple of Time. _Don't worry Link…_ I think, looking towards the volcano rising high in the distance to the north. _I'm on my way…_

**Yay! So now we're finally about to enter the opening stages of our high drama climax! I could always make the story longer but... I'm just too lazy! (That and i'm working on like two other zelda fanfics so...) Anyway... no questions asked this time! Until next time! :)**_  
_


	9. Chapter 8: A Promise on the Wind

I travel briskly through the desert, hoping to make it to Eldin Volcano sometime before sunset. It's already mid-afternoon as I hike across the sands of the desert, sweating from the overbearing heat. At the same time though, I'm bothered by something. Quite a few things actually. All of my questions from before leak into my mind once again, but this time, I have Fi with me to answer most, if not all of them.

"Fi?" I glance back towards the hilt of the Master Sword.

Since I'm in a hurry, Fi does not emerge from the sword like she usually would, but instead answers from within her vessel. "Yes your grace?" she answers immediately.

"Why did you and Link come down here without me anyway?" I ask curiously.

Fi is quiet for a moment before responding. "Your grace," she begins. "I am unable to answer your question at the current time. When we traveled down to the surface over three days ago, Master Link asked me to keep a vow of secrecy as to our purpose."

"What?" I ask, unsure of why Link would want it to be kept secret. "Why?"

"I cannot say," Fi replies. "I apologize, your grace."

I'm slightly annoyed at this. Why wouldn't Fi tell me something so important and why would Link make her keep it a secret from me? Perhaps he had done this before they were even in danger at all. That's the only reason that I can see. Whatever the reason however, it must have been important.

"Ok then…" I say, leaving the subject behind. "Then can you tell me what happened to him? How was he captured in the first place?"

"Considering the relevance to our search that information would purpose, I suppose that I can reveal to you all of the information that my data banks have on the matter."

"Thank you Fi," I say as we near the path between Lanayru and Eldin.

And so, Fi recounts the tale of everything that happened, including all of the long-sought after details of Link's capture.

Though she won't tell me why the two of them left Skyloft, Fi does reveal that they left at night before my birthday, which to me, seems like forever ago now. They traveled to Eldin, with some trouble since Link had chosen to make the mystery journey at night, making it a dangerous blind flight on his bird. Nonetheless they made it to the surface and proceeded to scale the volcano to make it to the summit before sunrise.

Their trip was uneventful according to Fi, and they made it to the summit long before sunrise. Apparently, Link had been searching for something and he found whatever it was up there. But just as they were about to return to Skyloft, trouble arose.

I listen carefully as Fi describes what happened. From nowhere, a mob of Bokoblins appeared and attacked. Link, being the skilled swordsman that he is, dispatched the creatures with ease. It was then, that, without warning, Ghirahim himself launched a sneak attack on Link, using a strong, unknown magic to strike him down, rendering him unconscious.

"Did it hurt him?" I finally interrupt Fi's story.

"I was able to detect a few minor injuries to the back and head, the two areas where Ghirahim struck him the hardest," Fi replies and then continues. "With Master Link unconscious, many of Ghirahim's underlings assailed him, taking him into custody."

Fi goes on to tell me that they took Link to the Earth Temple, and made sure that he couldn't escape by stripping him of all of his items, including the Master Sword. Then, Ghirahim, sure of his victory, used more of his mysterious new power to separate Fi from the Master Sword.

"I have insufficient data over what occurred after that," Fi finishes. "However I theorize that, as you most likely know, Ghirahim caused the Master Sword to ascend to Skyloft, imprisoned me within the Temple of Time and has been holding Master Link hostage ever since."

I nod, though I'm still obviously worried. How has Ghirahim become so powerful that he could do all of these things? What kind of dark, dangerous magic has he gotten his hands on?

I raise my guard as I enter the Eldin region. I'm a bit more at ease though, since the Master Sword is now returned to its full power. I feel at least a little more prepared to take on whatever Ghirahim has guarding the volcano.

Link and I don't really come down to the volcano much, considering the obvious dangers of lava and falling rocks. So actually, it's one of the few places on the surface that monsters still hang out around. And of course, the minute I make the mistake of stepping into their field of vision, they charge at me, their weapons ready to strike. My first instinct tells me to run, but then I remember that I have a fully-powered Master Sword at my disposal and that I might as well use it. I still lack great skill in handling the thing, but I do manage to take a few Bokoblins down as I hike up the slow inclined path that leads to the Earth Temple.

"So you have no idea what kind of magic Ghirahim used?" I ask Fi as I spot the Earth Temple in the distance.

For some reason, Fi hesitates before answering. "I do not your grace…" she says. "I have no previous records of it in any of my data banks. I apologize."

I sigh. I have a feeling that Fi isn't really telling me the whole truth about the matter; most likely because of whatever vow her and Link had made earlier. It would be nice to know just what kind of power I'm about to go up against, but I guess I'll find out when the time comes. Most likely Ghirahim knows that I'm on my way there by now. I wonder if he really has been torturing Link. I wouldn't put it past him to have just been saying that to scare me, but I also wouldn't be terribly surprised if he actually is. I begin to fear for the worse about what kind of state I'll find Link in when and if I do. He could be on death's door by now, easily. My muscles tighten and a clench my fists tightly as I hurry my stride towards the temple.

The sun has finally set as I reach the Temple, leaving the sky painted in a gentle mix of blues, purples, and pinks. Normally, this would be our favorite time of day; when we would return to Skyloft for the night, and be riding our Loftwings home in the fading glow of the day, talking and laughing all the way. The bittersweet thought almost causes the tears to come again, but I quickly force them not to. No more tears. Not until I find him.

I know that if I return to the sky for the night, then precious time would be lost. Fi suggests that I rest for the night, but quite frankly, I'm not all that tired. After all, I have been asleep for the past two days. Not that I'd be able to get any sleep anyway considering my scattered nerves. But nonetheless, I decide to set up a small fire, which lights easily thanks to the arid conditions of the Eldin region. I sit on a rock close to it and stare into its bright orange flames intently. What if I can't save him? What if I'm too late? What if Ghirahim has already-? I shake my head and stop the thoughts entirely. I will refuse to give up, especially now that I'm so close.

I've only been sitting by the fire for a few minutes, but the stars have already taken their place high above my head. I turn my attention to them, and then towards the Temple and sigh. "Link…" I say longingly to the open air around me. "You probably won't hear me but, if by some chance you do, I want you to know that I really miss you and that I'll see you really soon…" I glance at the sky once more, and watch with wonder as a star shoots across it. I smile, rise to my feet and continue on towards the temple, finally ready. And, on the last relaxing breeze I feel before entering its fiery depths, I whisper the words: "I promise."

_**Ok, sorry that this chapter is kinda empty. I think im gonna stretch the climax over several chapters and this is the buildup to the next few. So until next time!**_


	10. Chapter 9: Goddess Diamonds

The moment I enter the Earth Temple, I feel as though the fiery heat is going to suffocate me. The temple, as I had discovered on my very first visit here, is a lava-filled strong hold, but not impossible to navigate considering that Link already did most of that during his first time there when he was trying to save me. Not to mention the fact that Ghirahim and his cronies have recently taken up shop here. Surprisingly however, this temple is lacking monsters as was the case with the others I have been to.

Since Fi cannot dowse within the temple due to the evil energy pulsating through the area, I have to depend on my own direction. I don't know the place too well, since when I was here for the first time, I had been taken captive by a group of Bokoblins. They took me to the very pits of the dungeon and chained me up so that I would be there for Ghirahim to take and use to resurrect Demise. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for Impa leaping in to save me at the last moment…

What a strange coincidence it is though… that Link is being held prisoner now in the same place that I had been about a year prior. I frown as I cross a large stone bridge that crosses a river of molten lava. Why did all of this happen? I just wish Fi would finally give it up and tell me why Link went to all of the trouble of coming down here in the first place! I know that he could have probably never expected any of this to happen, but it still would have been a dangerous thing to do even if he had come back safely. What could have possibly been so important for him to risk life and limb for? I almost gasp aloud when I realize it though. Whatever had brought him down here, whatever his reason had been, it must have been something for me. Instantly guilt fills me even though I still have no idea what it specifically could have been. Link will do anything for me and that's just the problem. He_ would_ risk his life for my safety. He _would_ risk his safety for my happiness. He _would_ jump headfirst into trouble for me without even a second thought. He has done it before; probably more times than I can count. But why? Why does he care so much about me? And again, I realize why: it's the same reason why I care so much about him. The same reason why I would come down here and look for him on my own merit, not being called by anything but my own will. I think I finally fully embrace the thought now and its feels me with a warm and glowing sensation. _It's because… I love him… _I think and I can't help but smile. Yes, I love him. I've always loved him. For some reason, it only took me till now to fully realize it. Now that both our lives are most likely in grave danger.

"I have to tell him…" I whisper to myself as I walk through the temple, lost in my own thoughts. "The moment I see him, I will." My step quickens, as I'm filled with new passion and resolve. I don't want to spend another day without him.

Suddenly, a fleck of white in the distance catches my eye, putting an end to my racing thoughts. I have a feeling I already know what it is, but all the same I rush to it and sure enough I'm right. It's the sailcloth. _Our _sailcloth. I had worked hard to make it to present to the winner of the Wing Ceremony a year ago, and I had been so glad that I had been able to present it to Link. But as I look at it now, I almost burst into tears. It's tied to a worn wooden post standing near a door, no doubt left there by Ghirahim. The thing is almost torn to shreds, it's pure white cloth soiled as it hangs there, almost like a flag. Its presence is bleak and ominous, as though it's giving off a warning. I quickly pull the sailcloth off of the post and tuck it into a pouch, not wanting to think to hardly about its dark symbolism as I enter the next room.

I recognize the room as the place that I had been chained in when I had been taken captive by Ghirahim's forces a year ago. The room that comes after this is the Earth Spring so Link must be in one of these rooms. I open my mouth to call out for him, but another voice fills the room. "Oh Hylia… I'm so pleased that you could make it..." Ghirahim laughs darkly and I can suddenly feel him standing a few feet behind me. I spin around, whipping the Master Sword out as I do so and glare at him, chasing away any and all fear.

"Where is he?!" I say viciously.

"Well I suppose there's no point in playing these mindless games anymore, hm?" He asks, grinning evilly. "Your little hero's right in there…" He points to the door that leads to the spring and I have the feeling that he's not lying. My heart leaps as I barely manage to hide a sigh of relief.

"He better not be hurt for your sake!" I hiss, holding onto the sword tighter.

Ghirahim shrugs casually. "So what if he is? That's not my problem; it's yours."

At first I'm confused, but then I realize what he means. If Link really is hurt, then how will I help him? I'm almost certain that he won't be in a good shape when I find him. But then I remember the two fairies Impa left me with and I relax, returning his casual smile. "I think he'll be just fine," I say coyly so that he won't catch on.

Ghirahim, obviously frustrated by my calm manner, glowers at me. "Not if you can't make it to him," he says quietly as he snaps his fingers, making a long cutlass appear in his hand. Of course, I have been expecting this fight though I'm still not sure if I'm ready for it. Though the Master Sword is powerful, it must be handled by one who is competent in the ways of the sword to use it to its full potential. Though Link has tried to teach me a number of times, I've never been able to really handle one with ease. But at the moment, I don't care about any of that. Instead, I raise the sword and brace myself for the fight.

Without another word, Ghirahim rushes at me with his weapon ready to collide with my stomach. I narrowly leap out of the way, and manage to land on my feet somehow. I retaliate by swinging diagonally at him recklessly, which of course he uses magic to dodge. He shows up right behind me and I sense him just in time to duck so that his blade doesn't wipe my head clean off. While I'm low to the ground though, I manage to sweep my leg at him, knocking him to the ground.

I rise and prepare to brutally attack him, but he disappears just as I'm about to ram the sword into him. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain strike my injured arm. It's so intense that I drop the sword and grab my arm to see that the bandage has been torn off and that the wound is bleeding once more. I cry out at the pain, but try to ignore it as I see Ghirahim standing on the far side of the room, smiling cruelly as he examines some of my blood that stains the tip of his sword. _How did he manage to do that? _I think, panting heavily.

He simply stands there and laughs menacingly. "Oh Hylia…" he says as he walks slowly in my direction. "How weak and easy to tear that human flesh of yours is! Of course, _his _is as well…."

I can't find words to express how angry I am so I simply shriek at him as hatefully as I can. Of course, he only finds this amusing. "But maybe I'm not playing as fair as you are," he says. "For you see, I have one of these!" He points dramatically to a clear white gemstone that is embedded on his chest. The stone, though it's iridescent and radiant, seems to be emitting a dark glow from it.

I stare at curiously, and it feels as though I've seen that type of stone somewhere before. "What is that?" I ask harshly.

Ghirahim smirks. "This beautiful little gem is called a goddess diamond," he says, gazing into it admiringly. Immediately I recognize the term. Goddess diamonds are incredibly rare gems that only appear on the surface once every one hundred years. There are old legends about them told in Skyloft, but my father is the only person to have actually ever seen one. He's told me how my mother used to have a goddess diamond necklace that had been passed down from the days that people lived on the surface instead of the sky. He kept it after her death, but lost it a few years ago. However I vaguely remember my father showing it to me when I was little and saying that one day, when I was older, he would pass it down to me. The memory rushes in and out of my mind in the heat of the moment as I continue to stare at the gem with wonder. What could a goddess diamond have to do with any of this?

Ghirahim rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Please tell me you know what a goddess diamond is," he asks, annoyed. "How its beauty houses something even more amazing? The ability to magnify one's magic by one hundred-fold!" He laughs once more as my eyes widen in realization. All this time, it's been the goddess diamond that's been giving him more power! He's been able to use its hidden ability to grow stronger, even strong enough to take down Link.

Finished with his explanation, Ghirahim rushes at me again, but my reaction is delayed due to the fact that I'm still trying to process the information. And I'm too late to stop him before he rams his sword deep into my right leg. I scream in agony as I collapse to the ground, Ghirahim slowly and painfully pulls the metal sword out of my upper leg and I see that the wound is far too deep to even try to treat. He stands over me, menacingly and mockingly as he laughs assured of his victory.

Before I can even feel the full weight of the pain however, I feel it suddenly start to disappear altogether. I look down at my leg and see one of my two fairies flittering about me, strikingly its healing magic over both my arm and my leg. It manages to make the bleeding in both wounds stop and gets rid of the pain, leaving only large scars in their places as it flitters away, its duty fulfilled. However, I'm not happy about it. _One of those fairies had been meant for Link! _I think angrily, but I calm down, considering that I still have one more that I'm not about to let go to waste over me.

"Oh so is _that _how you planned on healing him?" Ghirahim asks hatefully as I rise to my feet again. "With simple fairy magic! Please." Suddenly, he runs towards me once more, but I am able to raise my shield to counter him, avoiding any impact. As he runs past me however, I feel a small tug at my waist and when I look down I am shocked to see that all five of my pouches are gone. I turn around to find that Ghirahim is stomping each and every one of them under his foot, including the one that has my spare fairy.

"No!" I cry and rush towards him, all of my emotions driving me at once. He's still distracted by the pouches however and luckily for me, he doesn't see me coming towards him until it's far too late. With as much force as I can muster, I stab the Master Sword into the goddess diamond on his chest and the luminescent gem shatters upon impact.

Ghirahim cries out in surprise and pain and stumbles back away from the sword. Breathing heavily, he looks down at the remains of the diamond on the ground before him. "Y-you!" he shouts in anger and pain. I almost think he's going to lunge at me once more until he collapses to the ground in defeat. He groans as he clutches his chest for a moment before unsteadily rising to his feet. He smirks at me, though pain is crossing his features. "Well Hylia…" He says shakily. "I suppose you win… For now…"

"What do you mean, 'for now'?" I say, ready to strike him again with the sword if he pulled anything tricky.

"Heheheh…" he laughs weakly. "Oh, nothing… Though I have to say that while this has been fun… I must be going… Farewell, your _grace…" _he hisses wickedly as he vanishes into thin air once more.

A great sense of dread looms over me. While I may have taken out his source of power, he can always come back; I know this for a fact. I sigh as I walk over to the ruined pouches and check them over and sure enough, all of the bottles are broken and the spare fairy is gone. I can only hope and pray now that Link's not too seriously hurt. Suddenly, I catch a gleam of something out of the corner of my eye, lying under the pile of pouches: a small key. I turn it over in my hands, wondering what it could be for, but I place it in one of the pouches as I re-strap them to my belt. It could come in handy.

I look towards the door leading to the Earth Spring and take in a deep breath. _He's in there, I know it… _I think as I sheathe the Master Sword and walk towards it, thoughts rushing in and out of my head faster than I can process them. I mentally prepare myself for whatever condition that he can be in as I stand before the large stone door. And I also prepare myself for the emotional outpouring that I'm sure will take place the second I open that door. Finally, I can't wait any longer and I slowly and cautiously open the door.

**BA BA BUUUUM! A cliffhanger! Oh boy! What's gonna happen next? Will Zelda finally find Link? Is Ghirahim still sitting in the shadows, plotting evilly? And do you think i have what it takes to finally finish this story considering i'm so close? find out next time!**


	11. Chapter 10: Sacrifice

The minute I enter the Earth Spring, a knot forms in my stomach. The pure and sacred waters of the spring have somehow dried up, leaving not even a drop or puddle behind. The stone pillars that adorn one of the main circular platforms have been reduced to rubble and on the far side of the room, the miniature statue of the goddess that once stood there is gone; a pile of rubble lies in its place. It's as though all of the sanctity that this place once held has been replaced with a shroud of darkness and gloom.

I strain my eyes to search the far side of the destroyed room. I can't see over the platform where the statue once stood, but that's the only place left to look. But before I even walk over there I call out, hoping with all of my heart that I finally get a response. "Link!" I shout. I listen for a moment, as the sound of my voice bounces around the room, and then I barely hear it. A small, almost inaudible groan coming from behind the platform. My eyes widen in both hope and fear as I break into a run. "Link!" I call out once more and I am met with another groan. I can already feel the tears falling down my cheeks but I don't care. I bound around the platform as fast as my feet can carry me, and when I arrive behind it, even more flow.

I have found him. I've finally found him. I can take solace in that fact, but his condition makes my heart sink. He's heavily injured, but still alive and somehow even semi-conscious. He's chained to the stone wall by both his hands and feet, but he simply lies on the ground, no doubt writhing in pain. Blood stains his dark blonde hair and several places on his face. His torn and tattered clothes are soaked to the brim with blood that seems to be coming from everywhere: his back, stomach, legs, arms, and even his head are injured in one way or another. In my head, I shout every curse word I know at Ghirahim for getting rid of my last fairy. I'll have to hurry him back up to Skyloft if I ever want him to be OK now.

"Link…" I whisper sadly as I bend down in front of him. His eyes are closed, but I can tell that he's awake, though not necessarily alert. I quickly remember the key that I had found earlier and sure enough, it fits perfectly in the locks of the chains that bind him. "Link. It's me, Zelda. Can you hear me?"

His eyes flutter open slowly. I look into them deeply to make sure that it's not another one of Ghirahim's tricks. But I ease up. It's definitely Link. His unmistakable sky blue eyes are filled with both relief and something that I have never seen in him before: fear. What kind of awful torture has Ghirahim put him through to break his strong courage? His unfocused gaze finally manages to lock onto my face as he whispers softly, "Z-Zelda?"

I nod, and smile as the tears stream down. "Yes," I say, grabbing onto his hand tightly. "It's me."

He says nothing more. He simply pulls me into a soft embrace and keeps me there for a long time. I feel his warmth wrap around me and I know that finally, it's all over.

"Are you OK?" I ask after a minute or two, even though I know that he's not.

"Yes…" Link says as he smiles weakly at me. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I ask, full of concern. "I… I meant to bring a fairy with me, but Ghirahim-"

Link cuts me off and I can already see his normal vigor start to return to him. "What did he do to you!?" He asks, his blue eyes flashing with passion. "Did he hurt you?"

I glance down at my leg for a minute and then at my arm. "He did…" I say hesitantly, not wanting to worry him. "But I'm fine now, I promise. I… I'm just so glad that you're OK…"

He smiles once more as I help him rise to his feet. I think he may even be able to walk out of here with me, though I think one of his legs may possibly be broken, but he'll be fine once we make it to Skyloft. "You shouldn't have come down here," he says patiently. "It was too dangerous."

"And leave you to die?" I frown. "I could never do that. Especially since you went to the same trouble for me…" I hesitate for a moment, but I go on after looking into his calming blue eyes once more. "And because… I love you, Link…"

He smiles so warmly and so radiantly that my tears instantly stop. He pulls me into a strong, passionate embrace and he holds me there tightly. "I love you too, Zelda…" he whispers in my ear and my heart soars at the words. He holds onto me for a long time, and I finally feel safe and secure in his arms.

Suddenly, I hear him gasp as I feel his grip on me tighten, then suddenly loosen and then tighten again until its feels like he's squeezing me. And then, without any warning, he suddenly shoves me to the side so hard that I fall to the ground a few feet away. I hear him gasp sharply behind me and the sound of what I think is a sword. And then, wicked laughter resounding throughout the area.

Absolutely nothing can prepare me for what I see when I whip my head around to look at him. In fact, it shocks me so much that I scream and almost faint. Ghirahim's laugh grows even louder and wicked when I see him, standing in the same place that I had just been, holding onto a sword that he has just stabbed right into the middle of Link's stomach.

Time seems to slow to a crawl as I watch Link standing there, not even bothering to look down at the blade, but at me instead. His face is a mask of surprise, pain, and yet somehow, relief. He's done it yet again; he's saved my life, but this time, at the expense of his own.

Ghirahim slowly draws the blade out of him, and Link collapses to the ground, limp and groaning in agony. I remain still, frozen in horror as I look at Link's broken body on the ground before me.

Ghirahim studies his sword, now painted red with Link's blood, and smirks. "Not who I was aiming for…" he says thoughtfully. "But satisfactory all the same." He shrugs his shoulders, and turns his attention to me. "Well Hylia, it looks like he's managed to keep you alive once again. At least for a few more minutes, anyway…"

I hear Link groan in pain once more and I rise to my feet, my eyes not moving from him. Out of the corner of my eye I see Ghirahim approaching me, his sword ready to strike. "How foolish both of you are…" he says mockingly. "To think that you would both make it out of here alive… Oh, if only my master where here to see this… Oh, but that's right! Your 'hero' killed him! Well then, I suppose I've just returned the favor, hm? Hahaha!"

His words barely register in my head as he stands over me, his sword poised to kill me. And I'm about to let him too until I look over at Link, who has managed to turn his head to face me. His face is a mask of pain and I can barely stand to look him in the eyes, which are filling with tears. But I stare into them intently as he mouths the word, "Zelda…"

And in this moment, as I'm looking at him, lying there, dying, I know I can't give up. I still haven't fulfilled my promise and I may not get the chance, but I can, at the very least, avenge him. All at once, I feel power from nowhere coursing through me. Righteous passion and hatred fills me, but something else too. Something that almost feels like divine power taking over me. I close my eyes and swiftly draw the Master Sword and when I open them, the sword is glowing like gold in my hand.

Ghirahim's eyes suddenly open wide and I can sense fear in them. He lowers his sword to his side and begins to back away from me warily. I notice that my entire body wrapped in a sacred light. The light of the goddess. My powers as a goddess are brimming over in this moment of passion and vengeance. I say nothing as I walk towards Ghirahim, who has found himself backed into a wall, unable to stand my divine light.

"H-Hylia!" He chokes out fearfully. "Please! S-spare me!"

I remain silent as I raise the Master Sword high above my head and then, thrust it into his chest, a bright light resonating around it. Ghirahim screams in agony and then, vanishes altogether vanishes in a flash of light, defeated once and for all.

I lower the sword to my side and close my eyes once more. I gasp for air as I regain control of my being once again and I fall to my hands on knees. I don't even try to stop the tears; what good would it do? I don't even want to glance over at him; he's probably already dead. But my eyes force me to look over at Link, his chest barely rising and falling as he lies there, his eyes closed.

I pull myself over to him, feeling too emotionally weak to even walk. He's still alive, but just barely. "L-Link…" I sob as I pull his head into my lap. Indeed, the wound Ghirahim inflicted on him is far too deep for anyone in Skyloft to treat. But I know that he wouldn't even make it up there if we tried.

He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me, weakly reaching a hand up to my face. "Zelda…" he groans and I can see the tears fall from his eyes as well.

"I… I'm so sorry…" I start. I don't even bother trying to tell him that he'll be fine. We both know that he won't. "I… I…" I loose whatever words I was going to say as I look at the soft smile forming on his face.

He slowly pulls his hand away from my face and reaches for a hidden pocket on the front of his tattered pants that blends in seamlessly with the fabric. I watch sadly as he holds out a closed, shaking hand. He opens his hand slowly to reveal a small necklace. It has a beautiful silver chain, but its main centerpiece is the heart-shaped diamond goddess that hangs from it. I recognize it as the necklace that had belonged to my mother once. How in the world did he find it? The thing has been missing for years. "H-happy birthday… Zelda…" he says slowly, a warm smile on his face.

I look at the beautiful trinket in wonder and realize that's why he came down here on his own in the first place. To get me a birthday present. I take the necklace in my hands but then I place it on the ground beside me. "Thank you…" I say shakily. "But I would have been fine just having… you…" I begin to sob uncontrollably.

Link shushes me and I quiet down, looking into his eyes once more as he weakly takes my hand. "Z-Zelda…" he struggles on each word. "I-I'm sorry…"

I shake my head. "No," I say between the tears. "It's my fault. I tried so hard to save you but… I… I… failed…" I cry out loudly, unable to bear the thought that I will have to return home without him. After all I went through; it still isn't enough to save him. And it's all my fault. I could have traveled the world over a hundred times and it still wouldn't have saved him. I could have gotten stabbed in the arm and leg until they both fell off, but it still wouldn't have been enough.

Link reaches a hand out to stroke my face again. "Zelda…?" he says in between my heavy sobs.

"Yes Link?"

"Do… you think that you could… sing for me…?" he asks, still smiling gently.*

I can't help but raise an eyebrow at this strange request. "Sing?" I repeat questioningly. "Sing what?"

He thinks for a moment before answering. "That song… you sung on the day of the… Wing Ceremony… You always sing it… so nicely…"

He wants me to sing the Ballad of the Goddess, an ancient melody that's been passed down since ancient times. I can see why, since the song holds a special meaning to both of us. And who am I to deny him of this last request…?

I begin in a shaky, unsteady voice, but I try my best to keep calm. "Oh youth…" I sing and I watch as Link closes his eyes to listen. "Guided by the servant of the goddess..." I stop for a second and look down at his face. He's almost gone, I know it. I can barely feel his grip on my hand anymore and his chest is hardly moving. But I continue anyway, tears streaming down my face as I look at his peaceful expression. "Unite earth and sky… Bring light to the land…"

By the time I'm finished, he's no longer breathing. He's gone. I let go of his hand as it falls limp to his side. And then, I let out an ear-splitting scream of anguish. There are so many thoughts racing through my head, but the only thing that I can hold onto at the moment is that one last look of peace on his face as he faded away.

I glance down at him one last time. And then, I lean down and gently kiss his cold, unfeeling lips. "Link…" I barely manage to whisper. "I… I love you…"

I finally look at the ugly wound on his stomach, heavily soaked with blood. As I stare at it, I scream out once more, sobbing violently. Why? Why did he have to die? There's no good reason for it whatsoever. He had only tried to do something kind and it ended up being his downfall. Why is the world so cruel, so unjust, and so unfair that something like this is allowed to happen? Why does a hero like Link have to die because of the hatred of another? Because of the failures of another? Because of me?

"No," I say, shutting my eyes so I don't have to look at it any more. "He doesn't deserve this. And it won't end like this… He gave up so much for me, and now I'll give something for him…" I place one hand over the wound and with my other hand, I hold his cold hand tightly. And I let the energy pour out of me. I let it flow out completely without restraints from me to him. _Link… _I think as I begin to feel his chest rise and fall once more and begin to feel my own strength fade. _Think of this as a thank you gift… for everything… _I smile gently as I finally collapse to the ground close beside him, weakly opening my eyes one last time to look at him. Indeed, the color has returned to his face and he's breathing again. He's alive. I hold onto the image of his peaceful face as I drift away, holding onto his hand all the while.

***So i got the idea of Zelda singing to Link on his deathbed from a comic by deviantartist Feri-san. I suggest checking it out because it is REALLY well done. Here is the link: ?order=9&q=zelda+comic&offset=576#/d4n20tp**

**So this was a super heavy chapter huh? lots of emotions and all that good stuff! I'm not done quite yet, but i hate to say that the next chapter will be the last BUT i kinda want to write the story twice: the story i've already written in Zelda's pov, and then i want to write it from Link's pov to give a different prospective on what exactly happened to him. If you think i should go ahead and do this, then please, leave a review! Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 11: Finally Together

Somehow, I'm still alive. I figure this out when I open my eyes from my dreamless sleep to find that I'm lying in my bed back at the night academy. I take in the fact that I'm finally home slowly, and the fact that I shouldn't be alive even slower. I had sacrificed my life essence to Link back at the Earth Spring to keep him alive, something that I am able to do as a goddess. However, even though it should have restored him, it should have drained the life out of me. And it would have well been worth it if I had died, if it meant saving his life.

But now, as I lie in bed, simply staring at the ceiling, a sense of dread fills me. What if it didn't work and Link is still…? I can't even manage to finish the thought, as it fills me with too much sorrow. I take in a deep breath, my weak body feeling weighed down by melancholy.

"Zelda!" I hear my father's surprised voice and turn my eyes towards the door. His eyes are red and puffy, no doubt from crying. "You're… awake…" He places a hand over his mouth, hiding the shock.

I frown at him. I have so many questions I want to ask, but I can't seem to even open my mouth to say them. My father slowly walks over and stands by my bedside, taking one of my hands gently. "Zelda, you weren't breathing when Link brought you back up here. We thought that you were dead…"

I only catch onto one part of what he says and when I realize what it means, I sit straight up, ignoring any weakness that I'm feeling. "Did you just say that Link brought me back?" I ask hopefully.

My father smiles slowly and nods. "He did."

So he's alright after all. I smile as I look all over the room for him, but I don't see him. "Where is he?" I ask, almost on the verge of tears.

Father avoids my eyes. "He is in his room…" he sighs, as though he has said something that I didn't want to hear.

"I have to see him," I say firmly, getting ready to rise out of bed.

"Zelda, please," my father coaxes. "You need your rest. It's very late. You can see him when you feel stronger."

"But father…" I start, but already, he's on his way out of the room.

"Zelda…" He sighs tiredly. "Please…"

I can't help but comply as I see the grief in his eyes. It must have been hard for him to see me return to the sky only for me to be basically dead. So I let him close the door gently behind him, leaving me in the darkness of the room once more.

But fear suddenly leaks into my heart as I wonder about Link. He's alive and safe, but I can't help wonder why my father didn't want me to see him tonight. Maybe he's just tired and he's getting some much needed rest. Of maybe he's still recuperating. After all, I don't think that I had been able to heal all of Link's wounds when I gave him my life energy. Considering he was dead, I gave up enough to restore him before I fainted.

And of course, I wonder why I'm still alive. By all means, I should be dead right now. But by some chance of the fates, I'm not. And at the moment, I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

I sit in bed for at least an hour before I quietly and weakly get up and slip out of my room. I stumble down the stairs of the academy, and nearly collapse from exhaustion when I reach Link's door. But nonetheless, I turn the unlocked knob and enter, not sure of what I'll find this time.

Sure enough, Link is lying on his bed, out cold. He has bandages wrapped around his stomach and several other places that Ghirahim had injured him as well. He does look better though; his wounds and clothes are clean and he's breathing normally. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that he's simple sleeping, but I can tell that he's not. "Link…" I say softly, though I know he's out of it. I walk over to his bedside slowly, pulling a chair up with me and taking a seat. I take one of his hands in my own as I think just how close I was to losing him. For a moment, I _had _lost him. And I absolutely can't risk losing him again.

He doesn't respond to my voice or my touch. I wonder how he could have even managed to bring me all the way back to Skyloft on his own. I simply shake my head as I look at him, resting peacefully. But then I smile as I realize that I have finally repaid him; he's still alive. We're both still alive somehow, even after all that has happened to us. Certainly, it must be destiny.

I don't leave his side for the entire night. With the first rays of the sun my father comes to coax me back to bed, but I refuse to leave Link's side. I feel that if I let him out of my sight, he could disappear all over again.

Seeing that I won't budge, my father lets me stay there and he even has food brought for me but I don't eat it. I feel sick to my stomach actually, about everything that happened. Though I'm exhausted, I don't sleep, knowing that I couldn't if I tried. For the longest time, I just sit there at his side, watching as his chest rises and falls just to make sure that he really is breathing.

I stay put all day, not once even thinking of getting up. But as the evening approaches I begin to feel restless. Why hasn't he stirred yet? He's just been lying there all day, unmoving. I stare into his peaceful, sleeping face and sigh, hoping that he'll wake up soon. My eyes begin to feel heavy as I yawn and I decide to finally let them close, tiredness overtaking me.

"Zelda…?" I jolt awake a moment or two later when I hear Link's voice. I look down at him, and he's finally awake and smiling gently at me.

"Oh Link…" I say tearfully, knowing that finally, everything is going to be OK. "You… you were… dead…" I say slowly, not wanting to recall the awful memory.

"I know," he says, sitting up with little trouble. "So were you."

I let out a small laugh. "Well then," I say happily. "I guess we're both incredibly lucky to be alive."

He shakes his head and takes my hand. "I'm not," he says, looking me in the eyes. "But I am lucky to have you."

He leans in and unexpectedly kisses me and of course, a savory warmth and elation runs through me. All of the sorrow and pain of the past few days melts away, leaving little but a memory in its place. All that there is now is us: Link and I, finally home. Finally safe. Finally together again.

* * *

I smile as I look down at the goddess diamond necklace hanging around my neck as we ride our Loftwings through Skyloft's clear blue skies. Link glances back towards me and waves and I nod back at him, beaming happily. It's been a week since we returned to Skyloft and little by little, both Link and I have recovered to full health. It's so good to see him returned to his normal strength and vigor, and just seeing that has sped my recovery along. We've stayed at each other's sides every waking moment since that kiss, and it's benefited us well.

However, we eventually told each other of the horrors that we both faced. I hesitated telling him about the injury to my arm and about how I almost gave up, but I did and the truth brought tears to both of our eyes. But what was even worse was when he told me all that had happened to him: how Ghirahim tortured him in every way imaginable out of spite, how the demon lord taunted him with lies about me, and how Link had even tried to escape, only to be punished harshly. And as I sat there listening to him, I couldn't stop the tears from coming. He had gone through so much, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that the entire time, I had been the only thing on his mind.

Even now I still have terrible nightmares about it all; we both do. But now, we have each other to chase the nightmares away, and slowly but surely, things have returned to a semblance of normal.

So today, since we're feeling so much better, Link is making good on the promise that he made to me before we went missing. We are spending the afternoon flying around Skyloft, simply enjoying each other's company. I feel now like that was something that I had taken granted before, but I know better now. I want to savor every moment I have with him from now on.

We leap from our birds and land on Skyloft's plaza, and we stand there together as we watch the sun begin to sink below the clouds. He takes my hand once more and we look into each other's eyes and I realize that I'm the lucky one to have him.

"I love you Zelda…" he says blissfully, the golden sun reflecting off his pure blue eyes.

I smile and enclose myself in another embrace in his warm and loving arms. We have both gone through so much, but somehow, by fate's design, we have made it through to be standing here, together once again. And that is something that I never want to give up for as long as I live.

So I look into his eyes once more, lean my head on his chest and whisper contentedly: "I love you too."

_The End_

__**All done! Well, kind of. Like i said, i want to tell the story through Link's POV now and so i think i will get to that eventually, but i will do it! (if i'm not too incredibly lazy (or busy)). So thanks so much to all of you who have read and favorited this story! Please leave me a review if you liked it and i hope to start on the "other side" of the story soon! Until next time! :D**


	13. Chapter 1 Redux: The Necklace

_Ok, so like I said a few chapters ago, I want to write this story through both Zelda's POV (which I already did ;) and now I'm going to retell the story from Link's perspective cause I got sooooo many good ideas and why the heck not? Soooooooooooooo….. let's get going…. :)_

The night wind is cold and hard as it hits my face. I strain my eyes to look for the break in the clouds that leads to Eldin through the darkness. I should know better than to fly at night; after all it's considered extremely dangerous for Loftwings that aren't specially trained for it. But I have to. I can't greet Zelda in the morning empty handed. I hate the look that she gives me when she's upset with me. It almost makes me want to scream whenever I see it, because instead of a look of anger, it's a look of hurt. And I can't stand to see her hurt.

At least I can see a little better than my bird can in the dark, so I'm able to navigate us to the red pillar of light in the sky that leads to Eldin Volcano. As I descend down there, a pang of guilt hits me. I should have gotten her something for her birthday a long time ago. It's not that I forgot about it; I've always remembered her birthday, ever since we were kids. It's just that we've been together so much lately that I haven't really found the time to sneak away and get her something. She'd probably scold me if she knew what I was doing right now; she'd say that it was too dangerous for me to come down here at night, alone. Her cheeks would get red and her nose would wrinkle in frustration like it always does when she's angry. And I'd probably just stand there smiling, making her even more annoyed. I can't help but smile, thinking about how strangely charming she is when she's mad.

I land at the base of Eldin Volcano and the whole area feels like it hasn't been touched in years even though I had been here only a few months ago. The lava flowing down from the volcano glows dimly in the darkness, and provides me with at least a little light to go off of.

"Fi," I say, glancing back towards the Master Sword strapped to my back.

Fi emerges from the sword like she always does and speaks in her usual emotionless tone. "Yes Master?"

"Where would these goddess diamonds be?" I ask, gazing towards the top of the mountain.

"Master I am able to dowse for them if you would like," Fi says.

"That would be great," I say, smiling. I take the sword out and Fi reenters it. A second later, it starts glowing as I point it towards the top of the volcano. "Great…" I sigh, realizing that I have to hike all the way up there. I'll have to be fast too, since I have to be back up in Skyloft long before sunrise.

"Oh by the way Fi," I start as I begin heading up the path. "When we get back, I don't want Zelda to know anything about this. Not until I give the goddess diamond her. Can you promise me that you won't tell her."

"Yes Master," Fi agrees. "I promise that I will not speak a word to her grace."

"Thanks Fi," I smile at her unquestionable loyalty. I don't know what I'd do without Fi. She has always been helpful and loyal, always there for me, no matter what.

I follow the path towards the top, half-walking, half-running as I go. It's an uneventful trip, but I keep turning my eyes up to the sky along the way, watching the stars above me as I try to estimate how much time I have before the first rays of the sun come up. Knowing Zelda, she'll be up with them like she always is and if I'm not in bed like I always am, I know she'll get worried. She always wakes me up, every morning ever since we were little. And actually, it's one of the few things that I don't like about her. Can't she ever just let me sleep in? I smile and shake my head when I think about all of the many times she has interrupted my comfortable sleep with her bright calls of "Wake up, sleepy head!" Well, maybe I _do _like that…

By the time we make it to the summit, I would guess that its past midnight, considering I had left Skyloft about two hours ago. _Good… _I think as I exit the summit cave and follow the sword to the small, high up platform outside. _I still have plenty of time. Maybe I'll even get lucky enough to get a few hours of sleep tonight…_

When I leave the cave, I'm almost blinded by what's outside. Right in front of me, glittering in the moonlight, are several hundred small diamonds, creating a large pile of them.

"Master," Fi addresses me as she emerges from the sword again. "I calculate a 93% probability that these precious stones are goddess diamonds. I highly suggest gathering some with haste and returning to the sky with all due speed."

I simply nod, as she heads back into the sword and I approach the diamonds. They're beautiful. They barely even seem like they're from this world. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like them in my life and I'm certain that Zelda will love one or two of them.

I look over all of the glowing, pure, clear diamonds, all of different shapes and sizes, trying to find something that Zelda would like. Some of the diamonds are too large for me to even try to take up to Skyloft on my own and some are so small that they'd be simple to loose on the way back up. And while they're all spectacular, I need to choose something special for her.

Suddenly a glint of light catches my eye. It's a different kind of light then the kind that the goddess diamonds are reflecting from the moon. I look over at its source and see a silver chain hanging from the tips of one of the larger diamonds. I grab the chain and see that it's a necklace, with a small, yet perfectly formed heart shaped goddess diamond attached to it. It looks quite old, yet it still glimmers in the moonlight. I stare at the thing and wonder where it came from. It must be man-made, aside from the diamond, though it must have been crafted into that heart shape. Did someone drop it one hundred years ago when the goddess diamonds last appeared? Could it have fallen from Skyloft? At the same time though, I smile at the trinket and look up to the sky once again, knowing without a doubt that I have found the perfect gift for Zelda.

I can see her face now when I hand it to her. Her blue eyes will light up and she'll give me that smile that I love to see. I grin, thinking about it as I tuck the necklace away into a small hidden pocket that blends with the hem of my pants. There's little chance that it will fall out of there.

I steal one last look at the pile of goddess diamonds before I enter the cave again. I could always gather a few more of them, but what's the point? I got what I came for so I might as well not waste any more time and just leave. And so I enter the cave again and start to head towards the nearest bird statue.

I journey down from the summit for a bit, until I find the bird statue that stands near the summit's entrance. However, as I approach it, I hear a vaguely familiar noise a distance behind me. I reach for the hilt of the sword as Fi confirms my suspicions. "Master I detect enemy presence in the region," she says from within the sword. "I advise using caution."

"Got it Fi," I whisper as my muscles tense like they always do when I'm about to fight. I quickly draw the Master Sword and goddess shield from behind my back and scan the area around me and then I see them. A pack of about ten Bokoblins racing at me from the bottom of the volcano. They're not too close, but I decide that there's no harm in taking them out. And besides, I haven't really fought in a while. This should be fun.

Instantly though, I'm glad that Zelda's not with me. She can't get hurt if she's not here. I rush towards the creatures at the same speed that they run towards me at and swing my sword skillfully as I run past them. Fortunately, they aren't smart enough to use their own blade to block me and I take at least two of them down immediately. The rest circle around me, which gives me the advantage of performing a spin to knock a few more of them down. And I quickly finish the rest off with a few more well placed swipes.

Though it was an easy encounter, I'm still panting as I sheathe the sword again. I guess I'm out of practice. After all, Zelda and I haven't encountered any monsters in a long time. We normally hang out in the forest, where we can almost always count on it being peaceful. I should have expected monsters to still be lingering around the volcano.

I'm about to head back in to the bird statue when I hear another sound. A quiet laugh. Again, my hand goes for the sword, but as I reach for it, I suddenly feel an incredibly painful sensation strike both my back and the back of my head at once. I cry out in pain and fall to the ground, struggling to rise again to strike back at whatever attacked me, but the pain proving too intense. Then, I see a shadow towering over me and once again I feel the pain hit my back hard. I barely hear that laugh again as the world goes black around me.

**_Soooo, what do you think? Ready for some DRAMA in the upcoming chapters!? hahaha... until next time... :)_**


	14. Chapter 2 Redux: An Old Foe Returns

_Soooo I probably should have said this a LOT earlier, but this story is rated T for a reason ya know… There has been blood in earlier chapters and I can tell you right now that there will be more. Plus, physical, emotional and emotional torture! Yay! Oh wait, I mean NO! Poor Link… __ And yes, I know that we're dealing with Ghirahim here, but there will be no… sexual… torture in here… got it? (perverts). But anyway, just a general warning before I go any further. Sooooooo Enjoy!_

* * *

"Link!"

I hear Zelda's voice calling desperately for me and instantly I know that she must be in danger. I try to call back out for her but my voice won't sound in the darkness around me. She cries for me once again and I try to open my eyes to see her but I can't. I can only stand here, wherever I am, and hear her call out for me over and over again, her voice sounding more and more painful each time. I want to find her, to protect her, but I feel frozen in place in the inescapable darkness surrounding me.

Suddenly I feel a hard blow to my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. It's painful, but so is the ache in my upper back and the splitting headache I have. I groan as I open my eyes, and I am greeted by yet another strike in the stomach before I can even see where I am. And then, I hear that laugh again. It's quiet, but quite close to me and familiar. I turn my eyes in its direction but see nothing except for a small model of the goddess state on a platform ahead of me. I glance around the area and realize that I must be in the Earth Spring that's deep inside of the Earth Sanctuary. But something's wrong. Where's the spring's water? Last time I was here, the spring was full of pure, clear water, but it seems to be dried up now, leaving nothing but cold earth in its place.

I'm lying on the ground, as I pull myself up to a sitting position, wondering how I got here, or what happened to me in the first place. How was I knocked unconscious and how long have I been out? I can only hope that it's not morning yet. The last thing I want is for Zelda to come down here looking for me.

I move my hand to the back of my head, but as I do so, I hear something rattling along with my movements. I glance down at my hands and realize that they're bound with long chains that latch onto the earthen wall behind me. They're locked around my wrists so tightly that it causes pain, almost cutting off my circulation. My bare feet are chained as well, my boots nowhere in sight. The chains are low to the ground luckily, so that I'm not hanging, and they're long enough that I can stand up. But I can't move far. I tug on the metal chains as hard as I can, but with no luck. They seem to be new, and strong. Getting out of them won't be easy.

Questions fill my mind. What's going on? Who or what attacked me and is trying to keep me hostage? And why? And, as I realize when I reach my hand towards my back and find that the Master Sword isn't strapped to me like it normally is, where is all of my gear? I left Skyloft with my sword, a shield, my bow and quiver, and the sailcloth and now they're all missing. The only things I have left are the clothes on my back, not counting my boots, and nothing more. My eyes widen, as I quickly reach for my hidden pocket, but I relax when I feel that Zelda's necklace is still there. Of course, that's the least of my worries at the moment, but at least I won't have to go through the toil of looking for it again when I get out of here. Which I intend to be very soon.

Before I can even start thinking of an escape however, I hear that laugh once more and this time, I realize who it's from. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and my muscles tense. On instinct I reach for my sword, which of course, isn't there. So instead, I make my hands into tight fists at my sides and glare all over the room, yet find no one.

"Where is he…?" I whisper, in my mind not wanting to believe that he has returned. By all means, he should be long gone. He should have been vanquished along with Demise. I saw the destruction of both of them with my own eyes. After all, I was the one who caused it. But my worst fears are realized when, out of nowhere, he appears only a few feet in front of me, grinning wickedly.

"Ghirahim…" I hiss, glaring relentlessly at my enemy. No question, he's the one who attacked me. I know why. Regardless of whatever means he returned, he's back now and he wants revenge.

"Greetings _hero_," he says with contempt. "Are you surprised to see me?"

"I'm more surprised that you lived," I say smartly, refusing to him get the better of me. "After, well, you know…"

His eyes flash with anger. "You shouldn't be so self-confident, my boy…" he says as he snaps his fingers. A long sword appears in his hand and he rubs it with his other hand, glaring at me. "Or it may just get you killed…"

He steps slowly towards me and my eyes widen at the blade in his hand. My mind rushes at what I can do at the moment, considering my impaired mobility from the chains. The only thing I can think of is to dodge his strike. What I'm not expecting though is for him to walk past me completely. I watch him as he steps behind me, probably intending to stab me from behind, but instead he grabs me tightly by the shoulder and whispers harshly in my ear.

"Don't worry hero," he says, and I can tell that he's smirking wickedly at me from his tone. "I'm not going to kill you… _yet_…" He laughs loudly for a second, and then his voice turns back into a whisper. "But by the time I'm done with you, you're going to _wish _that you were dead!"

I thrust my shoulder forward to break free from his grasp and he lets go, vanishing from behind me to stand in front of me once more, wearing a triumphant smile on his face. I glare at him, and silently promise myself that I'm not going to let him get to me, no matter what he does. "You know that I'm not afraid of you, so just give it up!" I say, knowing that he won't.

"Oh really?" he asks sarcastically. He then raises the tip of his sword and looks over me, as if he's trying to decide something. His lips contort into an evil smile and he slowly places the tip of the sword on my cheek. I cringe at the cold metal, but suddenly, Ghirahim lifts it away from my face altogether. A second later however a feel a sharp pain runs across my cheek, the suddenness of it causing me to cry out. I lift a hand to it, and feel warm liquid at the place where the pain is. Blood. How did he manage to that without even striking me? "Are you afraid _now_?"

Despite the pain, I lash out at him, trying to hit him, but he predicts my movements and catches my arm. "I said," he says as he bends my arm in an unnatural way, causing pain to run down it. I can't help but wince in agony as he does so. "Are you afraid _NOW?!" _

I cry out again, not in agreement with him, but simply because the pain is too much. He finally lets go of my arm and I cradle it with my other arm, trying to coax away the lingering ache. "No," I say defiantly after a moment later. "I'm still not afraid of you."

He answers me with a swift slap across the face, making my bleeding cheek even sting even more. "You're a fool, hero!" Ghirahim shouts, his angry voice echoing throughout the dark spring. I simply grin at him, seeing that I've frustrated him. Maybe his temper will get the better of him and through that, I'll find my escape.

Ghirahim calms down a moment later however and simply raises his free hand. And then he clenches it into a fist, his hand glowing red as he does so. Suddenly, I feel an incredible pain sweep through my entire body. It feels like something is eating away at my insides and it hurts so much that I scream out and fall to my knees weakly. The pain goes strong for two or three minutes, and I can feel tears rising up in my eyes but I refuse to let them come. I can't appear weak to him. That would only make it harder on me. Finally, Ghirahim opens his hand and the intense pain ends with a writhing flourish, leaving me with an empty ache on the inside.

"Maybe now," he says, lowering his head to look me in the eyes. "You won't be so defiant."

I don't reply, knowing that if I did, he'd probably do it again. I just sit there, my eyes wide as I gasp for air. I need to get out of here, soon. I don't know how much of that I can possibly take.

Ghirahim stands straight and smirks at me like I'm his prey. "Well," he says, and I pray that he's about to leave. "I must be off now. I have a little something that I must be delivering before the day is out."

My heart sinks. If what he says is true then morning is long gone and the day must at least be halfway through. Zelda's probably worried sick. Ghirahim, sensing the look of worry in my eyes, grins even wider and snaps his fingers yet again, replacing the sword in his hands with a different one. The Master Sword. I gasp and try to lunge towards it, thinking that if I can get my hands on it, I'll be able to get out here.

He backs away so that I can't reach him. "Do you want this?" he says, looking over the sword. "I don't know what good it would do you, considering it's powerless."

"What are you talking about?" I spit, though I am confused by what he means. How could the Master Sword be powerless? After all, I had used the very same sword to defeat both Demise and Ghirahim before so what could possibly be wrong with it?

"Oh never mind," he wave the topic off and grins once more. "I don't intend to keep it anyway. It's going to be taking a little trip up there…" He points upwards and I gather that he must mean the sky. But how would he even get the sword up there and why?

"Why?" I ask. "So that I can't get it?"

"Oh please…" Ghirahim rolls his eyes. "Keeping it away from you would be easy. No, instead I think we both know someone who would just _die _to get their hands on this sword if it meant saving you…"

He grins evilly at me as he lets me take the meaning of what he said in. And at first, I don't get it, but the minute I do, the thought fills me with terror. "No," I say quietly and then I glare at him hatefully. "No! Leave her alone!"

"What's the matter hero?" Ghirahim asks mockingly. "You don't want your beloved little goddess to come down here and save you?"

"Leave her alone!" I shout again, in hateful frustration. "She won't come down here by herself anyway. She's smarter than that!"

"You really think so?" he asks, as he makes the sword vanish magically. "Because I don't. I think she'll come running down here the moment she gets the sword and walk right into the little trap I have set for her. And then," he suddenly vanishes from the room but calls out from wherever he's at. "You'll both be mine." He laughs wickedly as he finally leaves.

My heart is racing and I'm sweating and shaking nervously. I can still feel the hot pain in my cheek and everywhere but I don't care. I rise to my feet and pull on the chains that bind me with all of my might, and again, they don't budge. "I have to get out of here," I whisper to myself. I have to make it back up to Skyloft before Zelda even has a chance to come here on her own. Because I know that the moment she does, she's done for. Ghirahim certainly won't hesitate to kill her. In fact, the only reason he hasn't killed me yet is to use me as leverage against her. I pull on the chains once more and once again nothing happens. I sigh and look around the room, trying to find anything within reach that I could use to free myself with but of course, there's nothing.

I admit to myself that I may actually be afraid, not for my own self or what's going to happen to me though. Ghirahim can torture me all he wants. He can cut me and stab me and even kill me, but if he manages to hurt Zelda at all… I can't even bear the thought. "She won't come down…" I say, trying to assure myself. "She won't…" But a small part of me knows that she will, as much as I don't want to believe it.

"Zelda, _please _don't come down…" I plead, knowing that she won't hear me all the way up in Skyloft. But at the moment, it's all I can do to calm my racing thoughts. "Zelda… _please_… don't come down…"

**;) not much to say except that its midnight when I'm posting this! so yay! late night writing! Until next time!**


	15. Chapter 3 Redux: Revenge

**_Again, the warning for violence and blood is in effect. So enjoy!_**

I hate the feeling of being unable to move. I'm not used to it and it makes me tense. Which is exactly why I can't stand having these chains around my arms and legs. Though I'm not completely immobile, the chains are long enough that I can move a few feet, I still feel like I'm completely trapped. If I had any of my items right now, getting out of here would be much easier. If I had only one of my arrows, I could maybe pick the lock on the cuffs around my arms and legs with its tip. And, if I had the Master Sword, I'd have a good chance of breaking the chains by force just by striking them with it. But I sigh, realizing that the Master Sword is probably a world away right now, up in Skyloft, where Zelda is. And where I hope she stays.

Since the spring is underground and no natural light comes into it, I can only guess that it's around nighttime based on what Ghirahim said. I've missed Zelda's birthday. I cautiously reach into my hidden pocket and take out the necklace, running a finger down its elegantly carved gemstone. In my mind, I say a silent apology to Zelda. I feel like I've let her down and thanks to my own stupidity, I've most likely put her life in danger. It would have been better if I had never come down here to find her a present at all. She would have been upset of course, but I can take that more than I can her getting killed.

Ghirahim's wicked laughter bounces around the room and I quickly shove the necklace back into my pocket. Maybe he doesn't know about it, which means that when I get out of here I'll hopefully still have it to give it Zelda. That is, if we're both alive by the end of all of this.

Before I can even try to see where he is, I feel something cutting down my back, deep, slowly and painfully. I gasp out in surprise and try to move away from it, but whatever's cutting me seems to follow my every move. And then, all at once it stops and I fall to my knees, feeling warm blood run down my back. From my spot on the ground I see Ghirahim step in front of me. I don't bother looking up to see his triumphant smile.

"Well what luck!" he says, roughly taking my chin in his hand and forcing me to look up at him. "It looks like I have a little free time on my hands. But of course, that won't be very lucky for you my boy…"

I pull my head away and don't respond, the pain in my back burning like fire. "Oh come now," he says in a patronizing tone. "You aren't still worried about your precious goddess friend, are you? Well you needn't be. From what I've heard, she's on her way down here as we speak…" He laughs, reading the undeniable look of fear that flashes over my face. But I quickly glance down, not letting him have the satisfaction of scaring me. For all I know, he could be lying. I _hope _he's lying.

Ghirahim doesn't say anything else. He simply grins deviously and raises his hand again and laughs at my suffering as the pain begins to course through me again. This time I restrain myself from crying out however. _He'll stop if he doesn't think I'm in pain… _I think and pray, hoping that it's true. Instead I simply sit there, every part of me coursing with pain and grit my teeth and bare it the best I can. Ghirahim frowns at my lack of reaction and stops; for the moment.

He gives me no time to recover though. A second or two later his foot kicks me in the stomach with such force that I fall over, gasping to regain my lost breath. I groan quietly in pain as I clutch my stomach, hoping that he's done for now or that he has to leave, but of course, he's not. He reaches down and grabs me by the front of my tunic, lifts me up with little effort and shoves my back against the stone wall hard. Pain runs down my spine and in the back of my head like daggers as I try to move my hands to make him let go but they won't move. I'm completely at his mercy and I doubt that he has any.

"Let…go…" I choke out weakly, still out of breath. I feel sick to my stomach from his kick and now, both my back and I think the back of my head are bleeding. I must look incredibly vulnerable to him, but I won't let it show in my eyes. I glare at him harshly and unrelentingly, wishing with every part of my being that I had my sword so I could rip him to shreds.

He grins darkly at me. "What wrong hero?" he asks sadistically, his eyes almost glowing in hatred. "Did you think I was just going to let you sit around here until your pretty little friend comes along to try and save you? Did you think that I was going to leave you unharmed after what you did to me and my master? That I didn't want revenge? Well then, you're sadly mistaken. It only seems fair, doesn't it? I mean, you did 'kill' us… or so you thought…" he laughs wickedly and thrusts me into the wall once more, this time with even more force. A loud cry of pain escapes my lips as my head hits the wall once more and this time, the blow steals my vision momentarily, but I can still feel my body wrack with pain as he finally drops me on the ground and laughs once more.

"Well I think you get the point for now…" he says cruelly from wherever he is. I make my arms pull me up into a sitting position, grimacing in pain as I do. And then, without being able to control myself, I cough so hard that blood starts to come up. I almost vomit at the disgusting taste in my mouth, but I manage to keep it down somehow. My arms shake heavily as the pain bears heavy in my back and I can barely keep my head up. A moment or two later, I can no longer support myself and fall on my front side, into the pool of blood in front of me. When I finally regain my vision, Ghirahim is nowhere in sight.

"I have to leave you now hero," Ghirahim calls mockingly from wherever he's hiding. "But don't worry I'll be back." _Don't hurry… _I think in my clouded mind, my mouth unable to utter anything but a soft groan. "I have to go meet a special someone in Skyview Temple… Don't worry though, I'll tell her that you said hello…" He laughs wickedly one last time as he leaves the room. Or at least, I hope he's left.

I close my eyes and groan out in pain once more. I need to get up, to get out of here at all costs and soon. Zelda's definitely down on the surface by now, apparently at Skyview Temple. Could she have already been captured by Ghirahim's minions? Or is he heading there to take care of her himself? I don't want to think about it, but my mind makes me. Does she even know how much danger she's in? I wish I could find a way to get a message to her, to tell her that I'm not worth her dying over. But I can't. At the moment, I'm in too much pain to even move.

I try to count all of the different injuries I've sustained so far, the first few of probably many. The most pressing issue is definitely my head, which I can feel blood pouring out of the back of. Somehow, I don't think Ghirahim managed to give me a concussion, but I can't be too sure, so I try to tell myself not to go to sleep, but it's hard since I'm losing so much blood at such a fast rate. My back must be a torn open mess and my spine feels like a twig that could break at any moment. My stomach feels like its burning and I can still feel the pain in my cheek from earlier, though I had managed to stop the bleeding a while ago.

My heart is pounding so fast I feel like it's going to leap out of my chest. _Calm down, _I tell myself, trying to take in deep breaths through my mouth. _Calm down… _I feel a strange mix of exhaustion and anxiety, and at the same time, I feel like I'm falling into a stupor. I'd give anything to have even a small sip of red potion right now, to ease the pain in any little way that it could.

Eventually, after lying there for what feels like hours, I give up on my fight to stay awake and let myself drift into the fog of my mind, hoping that at least I can find some relief there. _Relief… _I think, sighing as my breath begins to slow. _And freedom…_

**Well that was... depressing to write... :( yeah so... until next time!**


	16. Chapter 4 Redux: Dreams and Nightmares

When Zelda was pulled below the clouds, I had tried to find her in one day. I had been distraught the first time I arrived on the surface and I had no idea how much time I had to find her. But eventually it grew into such a large task that I found that I needed rest, so I returned to the sky each night, sometimes, solely for the purpose of sleep. And each night, I'd dream about her.

Most of the time, I'd get nightmares brought on by stress about something terrible happening to her, but occasionally, I'd receive a good dream of being with her again. Those dreams would give me something to hold onto of her; a glimpse of her face, the sound of her voice. They kept me going, even when I felt like giving up.

For some reason, I think I'm having one of those dreams now, because I find myself sitting high in the branches of a tree in Faron Woods, with Zelda sitting close beside me. Her bright smile radiates the sun, and she's holding on to my arm gently, stroking it.

"Where'd you go, Link?" she asks, her eyes full of concern. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Where'd you go?"

I look at her for a minute, trying to see whether or not this is a dream, but I really can't tell for sure. She looks so real and her touch feels genuine. It can't be a dream. She looks at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I…" I trail off, unable to remember much of anything accept for this moment. "I…"

She frowns and lowers her hand from my arm. She wraps her fingers into mine and leans her head against my shoulder. Her golden hair is soft and warm against my neck. "I missed you…" she whispers softly.

I smile and slowly, my arm wraps around her waist. "I missed you too."

We sit in a comforting silence for a while, taking in the glow of the afternoon sun and the sounds of the forest like we always do. I never want this to end.

"Do you want me to sing?" she asks several moments later, a warm smile on her face.

"I'd love that…" I sigh. Zelda begins to sing in her clear, sweet voice. I've always loved hearing her sing, ever since we were little. There's something about her voice that's just so soothing and majestic all at the same time. It's almost entrancing.

She doesn't really sing any song in particular, just a string of notes that sound well together. Her voice echoes through the trees, and bounces around in my head, filling me with warmth. I look over at her, sitting only a few inches away from me. Her eyes are closed and she has a dream-filled expression on her face. And it's beautiful. She's beautiful.

I close my eyes to listen as she sings for the next several minutes. I barely even notice that her voice begins to grow quieter and quieter with each passing second, until it's gone completely. When I open my eyes again, I'm back in the Earth Spring, still chained to the wall and lying in the same pool of dried blood that I had fallen into earlier. It had been nothing more than a dream.

Everything is sore as I pull myself up into a sitting position. My head is throbbing, but the bleeding has stopped. My back feels like it's on fire and I wince in pain as I sit up. But perhaps the worst of it all is the bitter feeling inside. Though it had all been an illusion, a dream, for a few moments I had been free, with Zelda. But I'm not. I'm still in here, and she's still out there somewhere. At least I hope that she is.

"Look who finally woke up," Ghirahim says sarcastically from nowhere. I don't bother trying to look for him because I don't care where he is. Unfortunately, he appears a few feet in front of me a second later, with a cutlass in his hand. "And what perfect timing! There's something I want you to watch, hero…" He laughs darkly, and with a wicked smile, waves his hand widely.

I'm blinded by whatever he must have done for a moment, but when my vision clears I'm greeted by darkness. Clearly, I'm no longer in the spring, but the chains are still attached to my arms and legs, keeping me from moving just like before. After a minute or two, my eyes adjust to the darkness and I find that I'm in the dark caverns underneath the Ancient Cistern.

I get up on my feet weakly and scan the area. I don't think I've ever been in this exact room before: it's a long, narrow, poorly light corridor with only a door on one side to my left. Ghirahim's nowhere to be seen, but I assume that he's close by. Whatever this is about, it must be a means of torturing me somehow.

My eyes drift to the far right side of the room, and for the first time, I notice a figure standing there, shrouded in darkness. They don't look like Ghirahim from what I can see, since their back is turned to me. I strain my eyes to look at them closer, and suddenly I hear the door on my left creak open.

Light from the other side of the door pours into the room. Someone steps in from the light and the minute I recognize them, my heart both leaps and sinks.

"Zelda…" I say softly, a slight smile on my face. It's her, no question. Her long blonde hair is tied into a messy ponytail with a purple ribbon and she wears what looks like a pink copy of the classic Skyloft knight's uniform. I can't hold back the smile on my face as I realize that she looks adorable in it. Strapped to her back is a goddess shield, no doubt one of mine, and as I get as close towards her as the chains will allow, I can see that she has the Master Sword too.

She steps into the room fully, but she doesn't seem to see me. "Zelda!" I call out to her, but she doesn't even turn her head in my direction. "Zelda!" I yell louder than before but still, there's no response. Why can't she see or hear me? Then, I figure it out. This must be an illusion.

She walks slowly and cautiously ahead, towards the mysterious figure on the other side of the room. "Zelda wait!" I shout, even though I know she won't hear me. Whatever or whoever that figure is, it's a trap. I just know it.

She's only a few feet in front of me now. I reach out my hand as far as I can, but I can't touch her. I'm still too far away. "Zelda…" I say desperately trying to get her to hear me. I look into her blue eyes, and see that they are filled with fear, and in that moment, I somehow know that all of this is real. She is really here in the Ancient Cistern, we both are. Ghirahim has done something so that she can't see or hear me. So I can only stand and watch her as she walks past me, not even glancing in my direction.

She's only a few feet away from the figure now, as she stops and I can hear her voice as it echoes through the cavern. "Link?"

My heart jumps. Maybe she has heard me after all. "Zelda!" I call out again, but she doesn't face me. Instead, the figure on the far side of the room does, and I gasp when I see who they really look like: me.

Now I get it: Ghirahim has somehow made a copy of me to fool Zelda. But she has no clue of it. She fully embraces the copy as me and starts talking to it excitedly. "Oh Link!" She exclaims happily. "I'm so glad I finally found you! And I'm so glad that you're OK! When you disappeared, I was worried…"

"Zelda!" I yell at the top of lungs. "That's not me! Please listen to me!"

"So I came down here to find you like you had done for me," she continues, completely unaware of what's really going on. "But then I encountered Ghirahim and he said he was going to…"

Her voice trails off bitterly and knots form in my stomach. What had he told her? How had he taunted her? And, had he hurt her? She looks fine, no injuries I can see, but he must scared her because she starts crying softly.

"Link…" she sighs tearfully. "I'm just so happy you're not hurt…"

For some reason, my mind rages with jealousy. Of course, she has no way of knowing that it's not me she's talking to. But I feel like I want to rip that copy to shreds for deceiving her.

"Link?" she asks the copy a moment later, her tone changing from happy to questioning. She places a hand on his shoulder and my jealously burns even hotter. Maybe she's finally seeing through this ruse. I hope. She needs to get out of here before things go horribly wrong. "Are you OK?"

The copy closes his eyes for a brief moment and when they open again, they are a deep, wicked shade of red. I tense up, and tug on the chains as hard as I can, but they don't budge. Zelda gasps and takes a nervous step back. "Link?" she says, but then she realizes it. "You're not Link!"

"Zelda!" I call out yet again though I am certain that she won't hear me. But my heart is racing too fast and so is my mind. "Run!"

The copy thrusts its way towards her and in one swift movement, it grabs her tightly by the neck and holds her up in the air, chocking her. "Zelda!" I scream, my eyes wide with horror. She tries to gasp out desperately for air and fights to break free, but she can't. He's too strong for her.

I hardly notice as the color fades from the copy, leaving only an ominous shade of black aside from his eyes. My eyes are fixated on Zelda, now dying in the hands of the very person she came to look for. My hands.

_No_, I remind myself as she continues to thrash about, her cheeks growing pale from the lack of air. _That's not me. I would never hurt her_. Eventually, she stops fighting him altogether and for a second, I think that she's dead and I feel a hot tear on the corner of my eye. But suddenly, she reaches a hand up weakly and then, strikes the copy in the face with as much force as she can possibly give. The copy recoils in surprise and finally releases her and she falls to the ground, gasping for air.

She's weak, I can tell. She rises to her feet as the copy moves towards her, a dark version of the Master Sword now in its hands, but she stumbles and collapses to the ground once more. She should run. She should try to get as far away from here as possible. There's no way that she'll be able to take him on in this condition.

But instead she pulls the goddess shield from behind her back and holds it over her, blocking the sword's blows. She's trying to recover. The copy strikes the shield over and over again, knowing that it will eventually break, as Zelda huddles under it and after a minute or two, rolls over away from the sword as it hits the ground.

She rises to her feet and pulls out the Master Sword. She's never been good at using a sword. I've tried to teach her a few times upon her request, but she's just not at ease with it. I bite my lip as I watch the copy race towards her, his sword ready to strike her. But by some miracle, she narrowly dodges him and even gets a clumsy strike in. He recoils and she takes the advantage by running at him and swinging at him with a bit more confidence. I silently cheer her on, though I am a bit surprised. I've never seen her so fierce before. She looks strong and stern, like she could be an actual knight if I didn't know any better.

The copy is enraged however and swings at her with great force. She cries out in pain and I lean forward to see what has happened in that quick second. "Zelda!" I scream the moment I see the deep gash in her arm, painted crimson with her blood. I tug on the chains as hard as I can and I don't stop, even though I can feel them bearing into my wrists. I have to get to her. I have to help her. I have to protect her.

The copy races in once again, ready to end her, but she dodges his attack. My eyes are wide with fear and fascination as I see her leap into the air with grace and agility. She lifts the sword over her head and comes down on the copy with a great amount of force. I smile softly, realizing that I had taught her that move, and though it's not perfect or even fluid, it's enough to drive the copy back.

The copy falls to the ground in front of her as she grasps her injured arm. Her face is a mask of pain and fear of what comes next. The copy assumes my appearance perfectly once more and reaches out to her, whispering something, her name I think before it vanishes away, defeated. She takes no joy in this victory however, as I see silent tears stream down her face from where she stands a few feet away from me.

I want her to hear me more than anything else. I want her to see that I'm fine, for the moment at least. I want to touch her; to embrace her and let her know that everything is fine, even though we both know that it's not.

She falls to her knees, a hopeless look in her eyes, and just stares at the floor ahead of her for a moment or two. And then, she starts coughing violently, bringing up a mixture of blood and vomit with each breath. She's not well. She needs medical attention, badly. If she doesn't get it, there's a very real chance that she could die.

By now, Zelda is crying uncontrollably, as she pounds her fists into the ground in a fit of sorrow. "Link!" She screams in a hoarse voice that is strained with pain. "Where are you!?"

"I'm right here!" I shout, the tears starting to emerge from my own eyes. "But you can't see me…" I sigh bitterly, wondering what she would say if she could see me; the bloody, tired mess that I am.

"Link!" She cries out again, even more intensity in her voice. "I need you…" She trails off distantly and fearfully. She buries her face into her hands and screams in agony.

"Oh Zelda…" I say sorrowfully. There is nothing I can do to ease her pain. I can only watch in silence as she suffers something that is far greater than physical pain. "I need you too…"

She eventually falls on her back slowly, her arms laid out at her sides and the blood flowing freely from her arm. "I give up…" she whispers hopelessly. Her eyes start to close and she sighs. I can hear her as she whispers something else though, but I'm not entirely sure if she's in control of her words. "Link…" she breathes, a small smile suddenly crossing her face. "Please… don't cry for me when I'm… gone…"

I ignore her request completely as the tears flow without stop. She's fading fast. She's dying and she knows it. And there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it. "I only wish that I could have seen you," she says, her words slurred and wavering. "One last time for real… I'm sorry… I've failed you…"

"No," I say quietly, wanting to look away from her but not being able to take my eyes away. "I've failed you. It's because of me that you're dying. And I'm here, but I can't save you. I… I'm so sorry…" She doesn't hear me. She doesn't, but I wish with every part of me that she did.

"But please," she says, her voice barely audible as her breath grows softer. "Know that… I… I…" Whatever she was going to say fades into nothingness as her eyes droop shut.

"Zelda…" I whisper as I look at her unconscious body. She's not dead, not yet at least. Her chest is still slightly rising and falling. Her lips are slightly parted, as if she's still hanging onto those last few words she had been trying to say. I'm not sure how, but her expression almost looks peaceful; like how she had looked when she was singing in my dream. She looks like's she's just sleeping and if it weren't for that ugly wound on her arm, I'd truly think so. Not on death's door, but simply resting.

Suddenly, I hear Ghirahim's laugh echoing throughout the area. I glare in no direction in particular and shout out in rage. "I mean it!" I hiss, fury replacing reason. "I am going to KILL you for what you did to her!"

Ghirahim appears a few feet away, standing between Zelda's body and me, a casual grin on his face. He steps closer to me, leaning his face in until its a few inches away from mine looks me square in the eyes and then, whispers darkly, "Not if I kill you first."

Suddenly, the world goes black again and for a second, I think he has killed me. A swift pain, much more severe than anything before, whips around in my chest and I cry out. "Zelda!" I let loose a scream that tares through my thoat. I can't see her. I can't see anything. And I panic. I thrash my arms and legs around, trying to reach onto something sustainable, but find nothing. I am nowhere. She is nowhere. In desperation, I fall to my knees, calling out her name one last time into the darkness. "Zelda…" I cry bitterly to the emptiness around me. "I'm sorry… It's all my fault…"

**So i was thinking that i wanted to tie in the other chapter 5 (told through Zelda's pov) into this, to make the stakes even higher for link and because i love the drama that is in that chapter! so yeah, until next time!**


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